1
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Ivachtchenko AV, Khvat AV, Shkil DO. Development and Prospects of Furin Inhibitors for Therapeutic Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9199. [PMID: 39273149 PMCID: PMC11394684 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25179199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2024] [Revised: 08/17/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Furin, a serine protease enzyme located in the Golgi apparatus of animal cells, plays a crucial role in cleaving precursor proteins into their mature, active forms. It is ubiquitously expressed across various tissues, including the brain, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas, and reproductive organs. Since its discovery in 1990, furin has been recognized as a significant therapeutic target, leading to the active development of furin inhibitors for potential use in antiviral, antibacterial, anticancer, and other therapeutic applications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the progress in the development and characterization of furin inhibitors, encompassing peptides, linear and macrocyclic peptidomimetics, and non-peptide compounds, highlighting their potential in the treatment of both infectious and non-infectious diseases.
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2
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Mahoney MW, Helander J, Kooner AS, Norman M, Damalanka VC, De Bona P, Kasperkiewicz P, Rut W, Poreba M, Kashipathy MM, Battaile KP, Lovell S, O'Donoghue AJ, Craik CS, Drag M, Janetka JW. Use of protease substrate specificity screening in the rational design of selective protease inhibitors with unnatural amino acids: Application to HGFA, matriptase, and hepsin. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e5110. [PMID: 39073183 PMCID: PMC11284329 DOI: 10.1002/pro.5110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Inhibition of the proteolytic processing of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and macrophage stimulating protein (MSP) is an attractive approach for the drug discovery of novel anticancer therapeutics which prevent tumor progression and metastasis. Here, we utilized an improved and expanded version of positional scanning of substrate combinatorial libraries (PS-SCL) technique called HyCoSuL to optimize peptidomimetic inhibitors of the HGF/MSP activating serine proteases, HGFA, matriptase, and hepsin. These inhibitors have an electrophilic ketone serine trapping warhead and thus form a reversible covalent bond to the protease. We demonstrate that by varying the P2, P3, and P4 positions of the inhibitor with unnatural amino acids based on the protease substrate preferences learned from HyCoSuL, we can predictably modify the potency and selectivity of the inhibitor. We identified the tetrapeptide JH-1144 (8) as a single digit nM inhibitor of HGFA, matriptase and hepsin with excellent selectivity over Factor Xa and thrombin. These unnatural peptides have increased metabolic stability relative to natural peptides of similar structure. The tripeptide inhibitor PK-1-89 (2) has excellent pharmacokinetics in mice with good compound exposure out to 24 h. In addition, we obtained an X-ray structure of the inhibitor MM1132 (15) bound to matriptase revealing an interesting binding conformation useful for future inhibitor design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W. Mahoney
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiophysicsWashington University School of MedicineSaint LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Jonathan Helander
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiophysicsWashington University School of MedicineSaint LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Anoopjit S. Kooner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiophysicsWashington University School of MedicineSaint LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Mariah Norman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiophysicsWashington University School of MedicineSaint LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Vishnu C. Damalanka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiophysicsWashington University School of MedicineSaint LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Paolo De Bona
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiophysicsWashington University School of MedicineSaint LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Paulina Kasperkiewicz
- Division of Chemical Biology and Bioimaging, Department of ChemistryWroclaw University of Science and TechnologyWroclawPoland
| | - Wioletta Rut
- Division of Chemical Biology and Bioimaging, Department of ChemistryWroclaw University of Science and TechnologyWroclawPoland
| | - Marcin Poreba
- Division of Chemical Biology and Bioimaging, Department of ChemistryWroclaw University of Science and TechnologyWroclawPoland
| | - Maithri M. Kashipathy
- Protein Structure Laboratory, Del Shankel Structural Biology Center, University of KansasLawrenceKansasUSA
| | | | - Scott Lovell
- Protein Structure Laboratory, Del Shankel Structural Biology Center, University of KansasLawrenceKansasUSA
| | - Anthony J. O'Donoghue
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Charles S. Craik
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Marcin Drag
- Division of Chemical Biology and Bioimaging, Department of ChemistryWroclaw University of Science and TechnologyWroclawPoland
| | - James W. Janetka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiophysicsWashington University School of MedicineSaint LouisMissouriUSA
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3
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Goettig P, Chen X, Harris JM. Correlation of Experimental and Calculated Inhibition Constants of Protease Inhibitor Complexes. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2429. [PMID: 38397107 PMCID: PMC10889394 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Predicting the potency of inhibitors is key to in silico screening of promising synthetic or natural compounds. Here we describe a predictive workflow that provides calculated inhibitory values, which concord well with empirical data. Calculations of the free interaction energy ΔG with the YASARA plugin FoldX were used to derive inhibition constants Ki from PDB coordinates of protease-inhibitor complexes. At the same time, corresponding KD values were obtained from the PRODIGY server. These results correlated well with the experimental values, particularly for serine proteases. In addition, analyses were performed for inhibitory complexes of cysteine and aspartic proteases, as well as of metalloproteases, whereby the PRODIGY data appeared to be more consistent. Based on our analyses, we calculated theoretical Ki values for trypsin with sunflower trypsin inhibitor (SFTI-1) variants, which yielded the more rigid Pro14 variant, with probably higher potency than the wild-type inhibitor. Moreover, a hirudin variant with an Arg1 and Trp3 is a promising basis for novel thrombin inhibitors with high potency. Further examples from antibody interaction and a cancer-related effector-receptor system demonstrate that our approach is applicable to protein interaction studies beyond the protease field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Goettig
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia or (X.C.); (J.M.H.)
| | - Xingchen Chen
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia or (X.C.); (J.M.H.)
| | - Jonathan M. Harris
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia or (X.C.); (J.M.H.)
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4
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Dahal A, Subramanian V, Shrestha P, Liu D, Gauthier T, Jois S. Conformationally constrained cyclic grafted peptidomimetics targeting protein-protein interactions. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2023; 115:e24328. [PMID: 38188985 PMCID: PMC10769001 DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1) structure is used for designing grafted peptides as a possible therapeutic agent. The grafted peptide exhibits multiple conformations in solution due to the presence of proline in the structure of the peptide. To lock the grafted peptide into a major conformation in solution, a dibenzofuran moiety (DBF) was incorporated in the peptide backbone structure, replacing the Pro-Pro sequence. NMR studies indicated a major conformation of the grafted peptide in solution. Detailed structural studies suggested that SFTI-DBF adopts a twisted beta-strand structure in solution. The surface plasmon resonance analysis showed that SFTI-DBF binds to CD58 protein. A model for the protein-SFTI-DBF complex was proposed based on docking studies. These studies suggested that SFTI-1 grafted peptide can be used to design stable peptides for therapeutic purposes by grafting organic functional groups and amino acids. However, when a similar strategy was used with another grafted peptide, the resulting peptide did not produce a single major conformation, and its biological activity was lost. Thus, conformational constraints depend on the sequence of amino acids used for SFTI-1 grafting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achyut Dahal
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe LA 71201
| | - Vivekanandan Subramanian
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536
| | - Prajesh Shrestha
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe LA 71201
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803
| | - Dong Liu
- AgCenter Biotechnology Laboratory, LSU Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803
| | - Ted Gauthier
- AgCenter Biotechnology Laboratory, LSU Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803
| | - Seetharama Jois
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe LA 71201
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803
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5
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Tyler TJ, Durek T, Craik DJ. Native and Engineered Cyclic Disulfide-Rich Peptides as Drug Leads. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28073189. [PMID: 37049950 PMCID: PMC10096437 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28073189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bioactive peptides are a highly abundant and diverse group of molecules that exhibit a wide range of structural and functional variation. Despite their immense therapeutic potential, bioactive peptides have been traditionally perceived as poor drug candidates, largely due to intrinsic shortcomings that reflect their endogenous heritage, i.e., short biological half-lives and poor cell permeability. In this review, we examine the utility of molecular engineering to insert bioactive sequences into constrained scaffolds with desired pharmaceutical properties. Applying lessons learnt from nature, we focus on molecular grafting of cyclic disulfide-rich scaffolds (naturally derived or engineered), shown to be intrinsically stable and amenable to sequence modifications, and their utility as privileged frameworks in drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan J. Tyler
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Thomas Durek
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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6
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Jacob B, Vogelaar A, Cadenas E, Camarero JA. Using the Cyclotide Scaffold for Targeting Biomolecular Interactions in Drug Development. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27196430. [PMID: 36234971 PMCID: PMC9570680 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27196430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
This review provides an overview of the properties of cyclotides and their potential for developing novel peptide-based therapeutics. The selective disruption of protein–protein interactions remains challenging, as the interacting surfaces are relatively large and flat. However, highly constrained polypeptide-based molecular frameworks with cell-permeability properties, such as the cyclotide scaffold, have shown great promise for targeting those biomolecular interactions. The use of molecular techniques, such as epitope grafting and molecular evolution employing the cyclotide scaffold, has shown to be highly effective for selecting bioactive cyclotides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binu Jacob
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 9033, USA
| | - Alicia Vogelaar
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 9033, USA
| | - Enrique Cadenas
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 9033, USA
| | - Julio A. Camarero
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 9033, USA
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 9033, USA
- Correspondence:
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7
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Taghizadeh MS, Retzl B, Muratspahić E, Trenk C, Casanova E, Moghadam A, Afsharifar A, Niazi A, Gruber CW. Discovery of the cyclotide caripe 11 as a ligand of the cholecystokinin-2 receptor. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9215. [PMID: 35654807 PMCID: PMC9163038 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13142-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The cholecystokinin-2 receptor (CCK2R) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that is expressed in peripheral tissues and the central nervous system and constitutes a promising target for drug development in several diseases, such as gastrointestinal cancer. The search for ligands of this receptor over the past years mainly resulted in the discovery of a set of distinct synthetic small molecule chemicals. Here, we carried out a pharmacological screening of cyclotide-containing plant extracts using HEK293 cells transiently-expressing mouse CCK2R, and inositol phosphate (IP1) production as a readout. Our data demonstrated that cyclotide-enriched plant extracts from Oldenlandia affinis, Viola tricolor and Carapichea ipecacuanha activate the CCK2R as measured by the production of IP1. These findings prompted the isolation of a representative cyclotide, namely caripe 11 from C. ipecacuanha for detailed pharmacological analysis. Caripe 11 is a partial agonist of the CCK2R (Emax = 71%) with a moderate potency of 8.5 µM, in comparison to the endogenous full agonist cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8; EC50 = 11.5 nM). The partial agonism of caripe 11 is further characterized by an increase on basal activity (at low concentrations) and a dextral-shift of the potency of CCK-8 (at higher concentrations) following its co-incubation with the cyclotide. Therefore, cyclotides such as caripe 11 may be explored in the future for the design and development of cyclotide-based ligands or imaging probes targeting the CCK2R and related peptide GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Sadegh Taghizadeh
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Biotechnology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Bernhard Retzl
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Edin Muratspahić
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Trenk
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Emilio Casanova
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ali Moghadam
- Institute of Biotechnology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | | | - Ali Niazi
- Institute of Biotechnology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Christian W Gruber
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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8
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Li CY, Rehm FBH, Yap K, Zdenek CN, Harding MD, Fry BG, Durek T, Craik DJ, de Veer SJ. Cystine Knot Peptides with Tuneable Activity and Mechanism. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202200951. [PMID: 35224831 PMCID: PMC9539897 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202200951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Knottins are topologically complex peptides that are stabilised by a cystine knot and have exceptionally diverse functions, including protease inhibition. However, approaches for tuning their activity in situ are limited. Here, we demonstrate separate approaches for tuning the activity of knottin protease inhibitors using light or streptavidin. We show that the inhibitory activity and selectivity of an engineered knottin can be controlled with light by activating a second mode of action that switches the inhibitor ON against new targets. Guided by a knottin library screen, we also identify a position in the inhibitor's binding loop that permits insertion of a biotin tag without impairing activity. Using streptavidin, biotinylated knottins with nanomolar affinity can be switched OFF in activity assays, and the anticoagulant activity of a factor XIIa inhibitor can be rapidly switched OFF in human plasma. Our findings expand the scope of engineered knottins for precisely controlling protein function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Choi Yi Li
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Fabian B H Rehm
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Kuok Yap
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Christina N Zdenek
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Maxim D Harding
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Thomas Durek
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Simon J de Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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9
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Li CY, Rehm FBH, Yap K, Zdenek CN, Harding MD, Fry BG, Durek T, Craik DJ, Veer SJ. Cystine Knot Peptides with Tuneable Activity and Mechanism. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202200951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Choi Yi Li
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Fabian B. H. Rehm
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Kuok Yap
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Christina N. Zdenek
- Venom Evolution Lab School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Maxim D. Harding
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Bryan G. Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Thomas Durek
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Simon J. Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
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10
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Lyu RL, Joy S, Packianathan C, Laganowsky A, Burgess K. Small molecule peptidomimetic trypsin inhibitors: validation of an EKO binding mode, but with a twist. Org Biomol Chem 2022; 20:2075-2080. [PMID: 35225309 PMCID: PMC10365224 DOI: 10.1039/d1ob02127c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Examination of a series of naturally-occurring trypsin inhibitor proteins, led to identification of a set of three residues (which we call the "interface triplet") to be determinant of trypsin binding affinity, hence excellent templates for small molecule mimicry. Consequently, we attempted to use the Exploring Key Orientation (EKO) strategy developed in our lab to evaluate small molecules that mimic the interface triplet regions of natural trypsin inhibitors, and hence potentially might bind and inhibit the catalytic activity of trypsin. A bis-triazole scaffold ("TT-mer") was the most promising of the molecules evaluated in silico. Twelve such compounds were synthesized and assayed against trypsin, among which the best showed a Kd of 2.1 μM. X-ray crystallography revealed a high degree of matching between an illustrative TT-mer's actual binding mode and that of the mimics that overlaid the interface triplet in the crystal structure. Deviation of the third side chain from the PPI structure seems to be due to alleviation of an unfavorable dipole-dipole interaction in the small molecule's actual bound conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Liang Lyu
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A & M University, Box 30012, College Station, TX 77842-3012, USA.
| | - Shaon Joy
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A & M University, Box 30012, College Station, TX 77842-3012, USA.
| | - Charles Packianathan
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A & M University, Box 30012, College Station, TX 77842-3012, USA.
| | - Arthur Laganowsky
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A & M University, Box 30012, College Station, TX 77842-3012, USA.
| | - Kevin Burgess
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A & M University, Box 30012, College Station, TX 77842-3012, USA.
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11
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Handley TNG, Jackson MA, Craik DJ. Scalable and Efficient In Planta Biosynthesis of Sunflower Trypsin Inhibitor-1 (SFTI) Peptide Therapeutics. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2371:117-142. [PMID: 34596846 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1689-5_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1) is a 14 amino acid cyclic peptide which has been effectively employed as a scaffold for engineering a range of peptide therapeutic candidates. Typically, synthesis of SFTI-1-based therapeutics is performed via solid-phase peptide synthesis and native chemical ligation, with significant financial and environmental costs associated. In planta synthesis of SFTI-1 based therapeutics serves as a greener approach for environmentally sustainable production. Here, we detail the methods for the transient expression, production, and purification of SFTI-1-based therapeutic peptides in Nicotiana benthamiana using a scalable and high-throughput approach. We demonstrate that a prerequisite for this is the co-expression of specialized asparaginyl endopeptidases (AEPs) that perform the backbone cyclization of SFTI-1. In our founding study, we were able to achieve in planta yields of a plasmin inhibitor SFTI-1 peptide at yields of ~60 μg/g of dried plant material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas N G Handley
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Mark A Jackson
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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12
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The application progress of peptides in drug delivery systems in the past decade. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2021.102880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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13
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Liu W, de Veer SJ, Huang YH, Sengoku T, Okada C, Ogata K, Zdenek CN, Fry BG, Swedberg JE, Passioura T, Craik DJ, Suga H. An Ultrapotent and Selective Cyclic Peptide Inhibitor of Human β-Factor XIIa in a Cyclotide Scaffold. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:18481-18489. [PMID: 34723512 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c07574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cyclotides are plant-derived peptides with complex structures shaped by their head-to-tail cyclic backbone and cystine knot core. These structural features underpin the native bioactivities of cyclotides, as well as their beneficial properties as pharmaceutical leads, including high proteolytic stability and cell permeability. However, their inherent structural complexity presents a challenge for cyclotide engineering, particularly for accessing libraries of sufficient chemical diversity to design potent and selective cyclotide variants. Here, we report a strategy using mRNA display enabling us to select potent cyclotide-based FXIIa inhibitors from a library comprising more than 1012 members based on the cyclotide scaffold of Momordica cochinchinensis trypsin inhibitor-II (MCoTI-II). The most potent and selective inhibitor, cMCoFx1, has a pM inhibitory constant toward FXIIa with greater than three orders of magnitude selectivity over related serine proteases, realizing specific inhibition of the intrinsic coagulation pathway. The cocrystal structure of cMCoFx1 and FXIIa revealed interactions at several positions across the contact interface that conveyed high affinity binding, highlighting that such cyclotides are attractive cystine knot scaffolds for therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Simon J de Veer
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Yen-Hua Huang
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Toru Sengoku
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0004, Japan
| | - Chikako Okada
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Ogata
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0004, Japan
| | - Christina N Zdenek
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Joakim E Swedberg
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Toby Passioura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, School of Chemistry and Sydney Analytical, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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14
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Babii O, Afonin S, Diel C, Huhn M, Dommermuth J, Schober T, Koniev S, Hrebonkin A, Nesterov‐Mueller A, Komarov IV, Ulrich AS. Diarylethene-Based Photoswitchable Inhibitors of Serine Proteases. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:21789-21794. [PMID: 34268844 PMCID: PMC8519022 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202108847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A bicyclic peptide scaffold was chemically adapted to generate diarylethene-based photoswitchable inhibitors of serine protease Bos taurus trypsin 1 (T1). Starting from a prototype molecule-sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1)-we obtained light-controllable inhibitors of T1 with Ki in the low nanomolar range, whose activity could be modulated over 20-fold by irradiation. The inhibitory potency as well as resistance to proteolytic degradation were systematically studied on a series of 17 SFTI-1 analogues. The hydrogen bond network that stabilizes the structure of inhibitors and possibly the enzyme-inhibitor binding dynamics were affected by isomerization of the photoswitch. The feasibility of manipulating enzyme activity in time and space was demonstrated by controlled digestion of gelatin-based hydrogel and an antimicrobial peptide BP100-RW. Finally, our design principles of diarylethene photoswitches are shown to apply also for the development of other serine protease inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg Babii
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2)Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)POB 364076021KarlsruheGermany
- Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT)KITHermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 176344Eggenstein-LeopoldshafenGermany
| | - Sergii Afonin
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2)Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)POB 364076021KarlsruheGermany
| | - Christian Diel
- Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC)KITFritz-Haber-Weg 676131KarlsruheGermany
| | - Marcel Huhn
- Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC)KITFritz-Haber-Weg 676131KarlsruheGermany
| | - Jennifer Dommermuth
- Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC)KITFritz-Haber-Weg 676131KarlsruheGermany
| | - Tim Schober
- Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC)KITFritz-Haber-Weg 676131KarlsruheGermany
- Lumobiotics GmbHAuer Straße 276227KarlsruheGermany
| | - Serhii Koniev
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyivvul. Volodymyrska 601601KyivUkraine
| | - Andrii Hrebonkin
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2)Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)POB 364076021KarlsruheGermany
| | - Alexander Nesterov‐Mueller
- Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT)KITHermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 176344Eggenstein-LeopoldshafenGermany
| | - Igor V. Komarov
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyivvul. Volodymyrska 601601KyivUkraine
- Lumobiotics GmbHAuer Straße 276227KarlsruheGermany
| | - Anne S. Ulrich
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2)Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)POB 364076021KarlsruheGermany
- Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC)KITFritz-Haber-Weg 676131KarlsruheGermany
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15
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Babii O, Afonin S, Diel C, Huhn M, Dommermuth J, Schober T, Koniev S, Hrebonkin A, Nesterov‐Mueller A, Komarov IV, Ulrich AS. Diarylethen‐basierte lichtschaltbare Inhibitoren von Serinproteasen. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202108847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Oleg Babii
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) POB 3640 76021 Karlsruhe Deutschland
- Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT) KIT Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen Deutschland
| | - Sergii Afonin
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) POB 3640 76021 Karlsruhe Deutschland
| | - Christian Diel
- Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC) KIT Fritz-Haber-Weg 6 76131 Karlsruhe Deutschland
| | - Marcel Huhn
- Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC) KIT Fritz-Haber-Weg 6 76131 Karlsruhe Deutschland
| | - Jennifer Dommermuth
- Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC) KIT Fritz-Haber-Weg 6 76131 Karlsruhe Deutschland
| | - Tim Schober
- Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC) KIT Fritz-Haber-Weg 6 76131 Karlsruhe Deutschland
- Lumobiotics GmbH Auer Straße 2 76227 Karlsruhe Deutschland
| | - Serhii Koniev
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv vul. Volodymyrska 60 1601 Kyiv Ukraine
| | - Andrii Hrebonkin
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) POB 3640 76021 Karlsruhe Deutschland
| | - Alexander Nesterov‐Mueller
- Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT) KIT Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen Deutschland
| | - Igor V. Komarov
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv vul. Volodymyrska 60 1601 Kyiv Ukraine
- Lumobiotics GmbH Auer Straße 2 76227 Karlsruhe Deutschland
| | - Anne S. Ulrich
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) POB 3640 76021 Karlsruhe Deutschland
- Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC) KIT Fritz-Haber-Weg 6 76131 Karlsruhe Deutschland
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16
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Muratspahić E, Tomašević N, Koehbach J, Duerrauer L, Hadžić S, Castro J, Schober G, Sideromenos S, Clark RJ, Brierley SM, Craik DJ, Gruber CW. Design of a Stable Cyclic Peptide Analgesic Derived from Sunflower Seeds that Targets the κ-Opioid Receptor for the Treatment of Chronic Abdominal Pain. J Med Chem 2021; 64:9042-9055. [PMID: 34162205 PMCID: PMC8273886 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The rising opioid crisis has become a worldwide societal and public health burden, resulting from the abuse of prescription opioids. Targeting the κ-opioid receptor (KOR) in the periphery has emerged as a powerful approach to develop novel pain medications without central side effects. Inspired by the traditional use of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) preparations for analgesic purposes, we developed novel stabilized KOR ligands (termed as helianorphins) by incorporating different dynorphin A sequence fragments into a cyclic sunflower peptide scaffold. As a result, helianorphin-19 selectively bound to and fully activated the KOR with nanomolar potency. Importantly, helianorphin-19 exhibited strong KOR-specific peripheral analgesic activity in a mouse model of chronic visceral pain, without inducing unwanted central effects on motor coordination/sedation. Our study provides a proof of principle that cyclic peptides from plants may be used as templates to develop potent and stable peptide analgesics applicable via enteric administration by targeting the peripheral KOR for the treatment of chronic abdominal pain.
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MESH Headings
- Abdominal Pain/drug therapy
- Analgesics/chemical synthesis
- Analgesics/chemistry
- Analgesics/pharmacology
- Animals
- Cells, Cultured
- Chronic Disease
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Drug Design
- HEK293 Cells
- Helianthus/chemistry
- Humans
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Molecular Structure
- Peptides, Cyclic/chemical synthesis
- Peptides, Cyclic/chemistry
- Peptides, Cyclic/pharmacology
- Plant Extracts/chemical synthesis
- Plant Extracts/chemistry
- Plant Extracts/pharmacology
- Receptors, Opioid, kappa/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Opioid, kappa/metabolism
- Seeds/chemistry
- Structure-Activity Relationship
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Affiliation(s)
- Edin Muratspahić
- Center
for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nataša Tomašević
- Center
for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Koehbach
- Institute
for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence
for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Leopold Duerrauer
- Center
for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- School
of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Seid Hadžić
- Center
for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Joel Castro
- Visceral
Pain Research Group, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders
Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI), Flinders University, Bedford
Park, South Australia 5042, Australia
- Hopwood
Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Gudrun Schober
- Visceral
Pain Research Group, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders
Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI), Flinders University, Bedford
Park, South Australia 5042, Australia
- Hopwood
Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Spyridon Sideromenos
- Center for
Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard J. Clark
- School
of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Stuart M. Brierley
- Visceral
Pain Research Group, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders
Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI), Flinders University, Bedford
Park, South Australia 5042, Australia
- Hopwood
Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
- Discipline
of Medicine, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute
for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence
for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Christian W. Gruber
- Center
for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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17
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Aslam L, Kaur R, Sharma V, Kapoor N, Mahajan R. Isolation and characterization of cyclotides from the leaves of Viola odorata L. using peptidomic and bioinformatic approach. 3 Biotech 2021; 11:211. [PMID: 33927999 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-021-02763-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclotides are true gene products characterized by the presence of six conserved cysteine residues and knotted arrangement of three disulfide bonds. These macrocyclic peptides show exceptional resistance to thermal, chemical and enzymatic degradation which is defined due to their three-dimensional folding. The current study describes an efficient strategy involving reduction, enzymatic digestion and mass spectroscopy sequencing for the identification of the precursor sequences and the cyclotide domains present in the leaf tissue of Viola odorata. We observed 122 partial peptide sequences containing 31 cyclotide domains along with 19 unique sequences consisting of putative novel cyclotides and acyclotides. Four precursor sequences consisting of putative new and already reported domains were further characterized for cyclotide domains, their structure and subfamilies. The sequences revealed the presence of classic knotted cyclotide folds with similar six characteristic loops but different amino acid residues. Molecular modeling indicated that the secondary structures present in the cyclotides are mainly α-helix and random coils. Variation in the sequences and conservation in cysteine residues in the cyclotides was revealed by protein diversity wheel. The significant information observed in the current study expands our knowledge about the structure and type of cyclic peptides in V. odorata leaves. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-02763-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubna Aslam
- School of Biotechnology, University of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Ramanjeet Kaur
- School of Biotechnology, University of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Venu Sharma
- School of Biotechnology, University of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Nisha Kapoor
- School of Biotechnology, University of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Ritu Mahajan
- School of Biotechnology, University of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India
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18
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Day K, Schneible JD, Young AT, Pozdin VA, Van Den Driessche G, Gaffney LA, Prodromou R, Freytes DO, Fourches D, Daniele M, Menegatti S. Photoinduced reconfiguration to control the protein-binding affinity of azobenzene-cyclized peptides. J Mater Chem B 2021; 8:7413-7427. [PMID: 32661544 DOI: 10.1039/d0tb01189d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The impact of next-generation biorecognition elements (ligands) will be determined by the ability to remotely control their binding activity for a target biomolecule in complex environments. Compared to conventional mechanisms for regulating binding affinity (pH, ionic strength, or chaotropic agents), light provides higher accuracy and rapidity, and is particularly suited for labile targets. In this study, we demonstrate a general method to develop azobenzene-cyclized peptide ligands with light-controlled affinity for target proteins. Light triggers a cis/trans isomerization of the azobenzene, which results in a major structural rearrangement of the cyclic peptide from a non-binding to a binding configuration. Critical to this goal are the ability to achieve efficient photo-isomerization under low light dosage and the temporal stability of both cis and trans isomers. We demonstrated our method by designing photo-switchable peptides targeting vascular cell adhesion marker 1 (VCAM1), a cell marker implicated in stem cell function. Starting from a known VCAM1-binding linear peptide, an ensemble of azobenzene-cyclized variants with selective light-controlled binding were identified by combining in silico design with experimental characterization via spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance. Variant cycloAZOB[G-VHAKQHRN-K] featured rapid, light-controlled binding of VCAM1 (KD,trans/KD,cis ∼ 130). Biotin-cycloAZOB[G-VHAKQHRN-K] was utilized to label brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), showing co-localization with anti-VCAM1 antibodies in cis configuration and negligible binding in trans configuration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Day
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
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19
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Bowen J, Schneible J, Bacon K, Labar C, Menegatti S, Rao BM. Screening of Yeast Display Libraries of Enzymatically Treated Peptides to Discover Macrocyclic Peptide Ligands. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22041634. [PMID: 33562883 PMCID: PMC7915732 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We present the construction and screening of yeast display libraries of post-translationally modified peptides wherein site-selective enzymatic treatment of linear peptides is achieved using bacterial transglutaminase. To this end, we developed two alternative routes, namely (i) yeast display of linear peptides followed by treatment with recombinant transglutaminase in solution; or (ii) intracellular co-expression of linear peptides and transglutaminase to achieve peptide modification in the endoplasmic reticulum prior to yeast surface display. The efficiency of peptide modification was evaluated via orthogonal detection of epitope tags integrated in the yeast-displayed peptides by flow cytometry, and via comparative cleavage of putative cyclic vs. linear peptides by tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease. Subsequently, yeast display libraries of transglutaminase-treated peptides were screened to isolate binders to the N-terminal region of the Yes-Associated Protein (YAP) and its WW domains using magnetic selection and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). The identified peptide cyclo[E-LYLAYPAH-K] featured a KD of 1.75 μM for YAP and 0.68 μM for the WW domains of YAP as well as high binding selectivity against albumin and lysozyme. These results demonstrate the usefulness of enzyme-mediated cyclization in screening combinatorial libraries to identify cyclic peptide binders.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Bowen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; (J.B.); (J.S.); (K.B.)
| | - John Schneible
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; (J.B.); (J.S.); (K.B.)
| | - Kaitlyn Bacon
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; (J.B.); (J.S.); (K.B.)
| | - Collin Labar
- Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA;
| | - Stefano Menegatti
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; (J.B.); (J.S.); (K.B.)
- Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC), North Carolina State University, 850 Oval Dr, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
- Correspondence: (S.M.); (B.M.R.)
| | - Balaji M. Rao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; (J.B.); (J.S.); (K.B.)
- Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC), North Carolina State University, 850 Oval Dr, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
- Correspondence: (S.M.); (B.M.R.)
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20
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de Veer SJ, White AM, Craik DJ. Sunflower Trypsin Inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1): Sowing Seeds in the Fields of Chemistry and Biology. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 60:8050-8071. [PMID: 32621554 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202006919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Nature-derived cyclic peptides have proven to be a vast source of inspiration for advancing modern pharmaceutical design and synthetic chemistry. The focus of this Review is sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1), one of the smallest disulfide-bridged cyclic peptides found in nature. SFTI-1 has an unusual biosynthetic pathway that begins with a dual-purpose albumin precursor and ends with the production of a high-affinity serine protease inhibitor that rivals other inhibitors much larger in size. Investigations on the molecular basis for SFTI-1's rigid structure and adaptable function have planted seeds for thought that have now blossomed in several different fields. Here we survey these applications to highlight the growing potential of SFTI-1 as a versatile template for engineering inhibitors, a prototypic peptide for studying inhibitory mechanisms, a stable scaffold for grafting bioactive peptides, and a model peptide for evaluating peptidomimetic motifs and platform technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon J de Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Andrew M White
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
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21
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Veer SJ, White AM, Craik DJ. Der Sonnenblumen‐Trypsin‐Inhibitor 1 (SFTI‐1) in der Chemie und Biologie. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202006919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon J. Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australien
| | - Andrew M. White
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australien
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australien
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22
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Gitlin-Domagalska A, Maciejewska A, Dębowski D. Bowman-Birk Inhibitors: Insights into Family of Multifunctional Proteins and Peptides with Potential Therapeutical Applications. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:E421. [PMID: 33255583 PMCID: PMC7760496 DOI: 10.3390/ph13120421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bowman-Birk inhibitors (BBIs) are found primarily in seeds of legumes and in cereal grains. These canonical inhibitors share a highly conserved nine-amino acids binding loop motif CTP1SXPPXC (where P1 is the inhibitory active site, while X stands for various amino acids). They are natural controllers of plants' endogenous proteases, but they are also inhibitors of exogenous proteases present in microbials and insects. They are considered as plants' protective agents, as their elevated levels are observed during injury, presence of pathogens, or abiotic stress, i.a. Similar properties are observed for peptides isolated from amphibians' skin containing 11-amino acids disulfide-bridged loop CWTP1SXPPXPC. They are classified as Bowman-Birk like trypsin inhibitors (BBLTIs). These inhibitors are resistant to proteolysis and not toxic, and they are reported to be beneficial in the treatment of various pathological states. In this review, we summarize up-to-date research results regarding BBIs' and BBLTIs' inhibitory activity, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity, antimicrobial and insecticidal strength, as well as chemopreventive properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dawid Dębowski
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (A.G.-D.); (A.M.)
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23
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González-Castro R, Gómez-Lim MA, Plisson F. Cysteine-Rich Peptides: Hyperstable Scaffolds for Protein Engineering. Chembiochem 2020; 22:961-973. [PMID: 33095969 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs) are small proteins of less than 100 amino acids in length characterized by the presence of disulfide bridges and common end-to-end macrocyclization. These properties confer hyperstability against high temperatures, salt concentration, serum presence, and protease degradation to CRPs. Moreover, their intercysteine domains (loops) are susceptible to residue hypervariability. CRPs have been successfully applied as stable scaffolds for molecular grafting, a protein engineering process in which cysteine-rich structures provide higher thermodynamic and metabolic stability to an epitope and acquire new biological function(s). This review describes the successes and limitations of seven cysteine-rich scaffolds, their bioactive epitopes, and the resulting grafted peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael González-Castro
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV) Unidad de Genómica Avanzada, Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio), Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México.,Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN Unidad Irapuato, Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México
| | - Miguel A Gómez-Lim
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN Unidad Irapuato, Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México
| | - Fabien Plisson
- CONACYT, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV) Unidad de Genómica Avanzada, Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio), Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México
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24
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Malik U, Chan LY, Cai M, Hruby VJ, Kaas Q, Daly NL, Craik DJ. Development of novel frog‐skin peptide scaffolds with selectivity towards melanocortin receptor subtypes. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Uru Malik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Lai Yue Chan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Minying Cai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
| | - Victor J. Hruby
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
| | - Quentin Kaas
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Norelle L. Daly
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine James Cook University Cairns Queensland Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
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25
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Bowen J, Schloop AE, Reeves GT, Menegatti S, Rao BM. Discovery of Membrane-Permeating Cyclic Peptides via mRNA Display. Bioconjug Chem 2020; 31:2325-2338. [PMID: 32786364 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.0c00413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Small synthetic peptides capable of crossing biological membranes represent valuable tools in cell biology and drug delivery. While several cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) of natural or synthetic origin have been reported, no peptide is currently known to cross both cytoplasmic and outer embryonic membranes. Here, we describe a method to engineer membrane-permeating cyclic peptides (MPPs) with broad permeation activity by screening mRNA display libraries of cyclic peptides against embryos at different developmental stages. The proposed method was demonstrated by identifying peptides capable of permeating Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) embryos and mammalian cells. The selected peptide cyclo[Glut-MRKRHASRRE-K*] showed a strong permeation activity of embryos exposed to minimal permeabilization pretreatment, as well as human embryonic stem cells and a murine fibroblast cell line. Notably, in both embryos and mammalian cells, the cyclic peptide outperformed its linear counterpart and the control MPPs. Confocal microscopy and single cell flow cytometry analysis were utilized to assess the degree of permeation both qualitatively and quantitatively. These MPPs have potential application in studying and nondisruptively controlling intracellular or intraembryonic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Bowen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way room 2-009, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Allison E Schloop
- Genetics Program, North Carolina State University, 112 Derieux Place, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Gregory T Reeves
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 200 Jack E. Brown Engineering Building, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Stefano Menegatti
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way room 2-009, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
- Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC), North Carolina State University, 850 Oval Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Balaji M Rao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way room 2-009, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
- Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC), North Carolina State University, 850 Oval Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
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26
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Smith RJ, Fabiani T, Wang S, Ramesh S, Khan S, Santiso E, Silva FLB, Gorman C, Menegatti S. Exploring the physicochemical and morphological properties of peptide‐hybridized dendrimers (
DendriPeps
) and their aggregates. JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pol.20200277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J. Smith
- Department of ChemistryNorth Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina USA
| | - Thomas Fabiani
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringNorth Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina USA
| | - Siyao Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringNorth Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina USA
| | - Srivatsan Ramesh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringNorth Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina USA
| | - Saad Khan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringNorth Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina USA
| | - Erik Santiso
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringNorth Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina USA
| | - Fernando Luis Barroso Silva
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Ribeirão PretoUniversidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto São Paulo Brazil
| | - Christopher Gorman
- Department of ChemistryNorth Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina USA
| | - Stefano Menegatti
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringNorth Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina USA
- Golden Leaf Biomanufacturing Training & Education Center Raleigh North Carolina USA
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27
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Barozzi A, Lavoie RA, Day KN, Prodromou R, Menegatti S. Affibody-Binding Ligands. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21113769. [PMID: 32471034 PMCID: PMC7312911 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21113769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
While antibodies remain established therapeutic and diagnostic tools, other protein scaffolds are emerging as effective and safer alternatives. Affibodies in particular are a new class of small proteins marketed as bio-analytic reagents. They feature tailorable binding affinity, low immunogenicity, high tissue permeation, and high expression titer in bacterial hosts. This work presents the development of affibody-binding peptides to be utilized as ligands for their purification from bacterial lysates. Affibody-binding candidates were identified by screening a peptide library simultaneously against two model affibodies (anti-immunoglobulin G (IgG) and anti-albumin) with the aim of selecting peptides targeting the conserved domain of affibodies. An ensemble of homologous sequences identified from screening was synthesized on Toyopearl® resin and evaluated via binding studies to select sequences that afford high product binding and recovery. The affibody-peptide interaction was also evaluated by in silico docking, which corroborated the targeting of the conserved domain. Ligand IGKQRI was validated through purification of an anti-ErbB2 affibody from an Escherichia coli lysate. The values of binding capacity (~5 mg affibody per mL of resin), affinity (KD ~1 μM), recovery and purity (64-71% and 86-91%), and resin lifetime (100 cycles) demonstrate that IGKQRI can be employed as ligand in affibody purification processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Barozzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7905, USA; (A.B.); (R.A.L.); (K.N.D.); (R.P.)
| | - R. Ashton Lavoie
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7905, USA; (A.B.); (R.A.L.); (K.N.D.); (R.P.)
| | - Kevin N. Day
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7905, USA; (A.B.); (R.A.L.); (K.N.D.); (R.P.)
| | - Raphael Prodromou
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7905, USA; (A.B.); (R.A.L.); (K.N.D.); (R.P.)
| | - Stefano Menegatti
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7905, USA; (A.B.); (R.A.L.); (K.N.D.); (R.P.)
- Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7905, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-919-753-3276
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28
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White AM, Veer SJ, Wu G, Harvey PJ, Yap K, King GJ, Swedberg JE, Wang CK, Law RHP, Durek T, Craik DJ. Application and Structural Analysis of Triazole‐Bridged Disulfide Mimetics in Cyclic Peptides. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202003435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. White
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Simon J. Veer
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Guojie Wu
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University Clayton VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Peta J. Harvey
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Kuok Yap
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Gordon J. King
- The Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Joakim E. Swedberg
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Conan K. Wang
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Ruby H. P. Law
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University Clayton VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Thomas Durek
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
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29
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White AM, Veer SJ, Wu G, Harvey PJ, Yap K, King GJ, Swedberg JE, Wang CK, Law RHP, Durek T, Craik DJ. Application and Structural Analysis of Triazole‐Bridged Disulfide Mimetics in Cyclic Peptides. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:11273-11277. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.202003435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. White
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Simon J. Veer
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Guojie Wu
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University Clayton VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Peta J. Harvey
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Kuok Yap
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Gordon J. King
- The Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Joakim E. Swedberg
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Conan K. Wang
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Ruby H. P. Law
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University Clayton VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Thomas Durek
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
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30
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Du Q, Chan LY, Gilding EK, Henriques ST, Condon ND, Ravipati AS, Kaas Q, Huang YH, Craik DJ. Discovery and mechanistic studies of cytotoxic cyclotides from the medicinal herb Hybanthus enneaspermus. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:10911-10925. [PMID: 32414842 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.012627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclotides are plant-derived peptides characterized by an ∼30-amino acid-long cyclic backbone and a cystine knot motif. Cyclotides have diverse bioactivities, and their cytotoxicity has attracted significant attention for its potential anticancer applications. Hybanthus enneaspermus (Linn) F. Muell is a medicinal herb widely used in India as a libido enhancer, and a previous study has reported that it may contain cyclotides. In the current study, we isolated 11 novel cyclotides and 1 known cyclotide (cycloviolacin O2) from H. enneaspermus and used tandem MS to determine their amino acid sequences. We found that among these cyclotides, hyen C comprises a unique sequence in loops 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 compared with known cyclotides. The most abundant cyclotide in this plant, hyen D, had anticancer activity comparable to that of cycloviolacin O2, one of the most cytotoxic known cyclotides. We also provide mechanistic insights into how these novel cyclotides interact with and permeabilize cell membranes. Results from surface plasmon resonance experiments revealed that hyen D, E, L, and M and cycloviolacin O2 preferentially interact with model lipid membranes that contain phospholipids with phosphatidyl-ethanolamine headgroups. The results of a lactate dehydrogenase assay indicated that exposure to these cyclotides compromises cell membrane integrity. Using live-cell imaging, we show that hyen D induces rapid membrane blebbing and cell necrosis. Cyclotide-membrane interactions correlated with the observed cytotoxicity, suggesting that membrane permeabilization and disintegration underpin cyclotide cytotoxicity. These findings broaden our knowledge on the indigenous Indian herb H. enneaspermus and have uncovered cyclotides with potential anticancer activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingdan Du
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Lai Y Chan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Edward K Gilding
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sónia Troeira Henriques
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health & Biomedical Innovation and Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nicholas D Condon
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Anjaneya S Ravipati
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Quentin Kaas
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Yen-Hua Huang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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31
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Mehta L, Dhankhar R, Gulati P, Kapoor RK, Mohanty A, Kumar S. Natural and grafted cyclotides in cancer therapy: An insight. J Pept Sci 2020; 26:e3246. [DOI: 10.1002/psc.3246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lovekesh Mehta
- Medical Microbiology and Bioprocess Laboratory, Department of MicrobiologyMaharshi Dayanand University Rohtak India
| | - Rakhi Dhankhar
- Medical Microbiology and Bioprocess Laboratory, Department of MicrobiologyMaharshi Dayanand University Rohtak India
| | - Pooja Gulati
- Medical Microbiology and Bioprocess Laboratory, Department of MicrobiologyMaharshi Dayanand University Rohtak India
| | - Rajeev Kumar Kapoor
- Medical Microbiology and Bioprocess Laboratory, Department of MicrobiologyMaharshi Dayanand University Rohtak India
| | - Aparajita Mohanty
- Department of Botany, Gargi CollegeUniversity of Delhi New Delhi India
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- Medical Microbiology and Bioprocess Laboratory, Department of MicrobiologyMaharshi Dayanand University Rohtak India
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32
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Truncation of Huia versabilis Bowman-Birk inhibitor increases its selectivity, matriptase-1 inhibitory activity and proteolytic stability. Biochimie 2020; 171-172:178-186. [PMID: 32169666 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
A gradual truncation of the primary structure of frog skin-derived Huia versabilis Bowman-Birk peptidic inhibitor (HV-BBI) resulted in 18-times stronger inhibitor of matriptase-1 (peptide 6, Ki = 8 nm) in comparison to the full-length HV-BBI (Ki = 155 nm). Analogous increase in the inhibitory activity in correlation with the peptide length reduction was not observed in case of other serine proteases, bovine trypsin (Ki = 151 nm for peptide 6 and Ki = 120 nm for HV-BBI) and plasmin (Ki = 120 nm for peptide 6 and 82 nm for HV-BBI). Weaker binding affinity to these enzymes emphasized an inhibitory specificity of peptide 6. Molecular dynamic analysis revealed that the observed variations in the binding affinity of peptide 6 and HV-BBI with matriptase-1 are associated with the entropic differences of the unbound peptides. Moreover, several aspects explaining differences in the inhibition of matriptase-1 by peptide 6 (bearing the C-terminal amide group) and its two analogues, peptide 6∗ (having the C-terminal carboxyl group, Ki = 473 nm) and cyclic peptide 6∗∗ (Ki = 533 nm), both exhibiting more than 50-fold reduced inhibitory potency, were discovered. It was also shown that peptide 6 presented significantly higher resistance to proteolytic degradation in human serum than HV-BBI. Additional investigations revealed that, in contrast to some amphibian-derived inhibitors, HV-BBI and its truncated analogues do not possess bactericidal activity, thus they cannot be considered as bifunctional agents.
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Abstract
Over the last two decades, a novel subgroup of serine proteases, the cell surface-anchored serine proteases, has emerged as an important component of the human degradome, and several members have garnered significant attention for their roles in cancer progression and metastasis. A large body of literature describes that cell surface-anchored serine proteases are deregulated in cancer and that they contribute to both tumor formation and metastasis through diverse molecular mechanisms. The loss of precise regulation of cell surface-anchored serine protease expression and/or catalytic activity may be contributing to the etiology of several cancer types. There is therefore a strong impetus to understand the events that lead to deregulation at the gene and protein levels, how these precipitate in various stages of tumorigenesis, and whether targeting of selected proteases can lead to novel cancer intervention strategies. This review summarizes current knowledge about cell surface-anchored serine proteases and their role in cancer based on biochemical characterization, cell culture-based studies, expression studies, and in vivo experiments. Efforts to develop inhibitors to target cell surface-anchored serine proteases in cancer therapy will also be summarized.
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34
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Zuo K, Qi Y, Yuan C, Jiang L, Xu P, Hu J, Huang M, Li J. Specifically targeting cancer proliferation and metastasis processes: the development of matriptase inhibitors. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2020; 38:507-524. [PMID: 31471691 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-019-09802-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Matriptase is a type II transmembrane serine protease, which has been suggested to play critical roles in numerous pathways of biological developments. Matriptase is the activator of several oncogenic proteins, including urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2). The activations of these matriptase substrates subsequently lead to the generation of plasmin, matrix metalloproteases (MMPs), and the triggers for many other signaling pathways related to cancer proliferation and metastasis. Accordingly, matriptase is considered an emerging target for the treatments of cancer. Thus far, inhibitors of matriptase have been developed as potential anti-cancer agents, which include small-molecule inhibitors, peptide-based inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies. This review covers established literature to summarize the chemical and biochemical aspects, especially the inhibitory mechanisms and structure-activity relationships (SARs) of matriptase inhibitors with the goal of proposing the strategies for their future developments in anti-cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zuo
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingying Qi
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Cai Yuan
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Longguang Jiang
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Xu
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 61 Biopolis Dr, 138673, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Jianping Hu
- College of Pharmacy and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Mingdong Huang
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, Fujian, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jinyu Li
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, Fujian, People's Republic of China.
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35
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Li CY, Yap K, Swedberg JE, Craik DJ, de Veer SJ. Binding Loop Substitutions in the Cyclic Peptide SFTI-1 Generate Potent and Selective Chymase Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2020; 63:816-826. [PMID: 31855419 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Chymase is a serine protease that is predominantly expressed by mast cells and has key roles in immune defense and the cardiovascular system. This enzyme has also emerged as a therapeutic target for cardiovascular disease due to its ability to remodel cardiac tissue and generate angiotensin II. Here, we used the nature-derived cyclic peptide sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1) as a template for designing novel chymase inhibitors. The key binding contacts of SFTI-1 were optimized by combining a peptide substrate library screen with structure-based design, which yielded several variants with potent activity. The lead variant was further modified by replacing the P1 Tyr residue with para-substituted Phe derivatives, generating new inhibitors with improved potency (Ki = 1.8 nM) and higher selectivity over closely related enzymes. Several variants were shown to block angiotensin I cleavage in vitro, highlighting their potential for further development and future evaluation as pharmaceutical leads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Choi Yi Li
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Kuok Yap
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Joakim E Swedberg
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Simon J de Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
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36
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Abstract
This Review explores the class of plant-derived macrocyclic peptides called cyclotides. We include an account of their discovery, characterization, and distribution in the plant kingdom as well as a detailed analysis of their sequences and structures, biosynthesis and chemical synthesis, biological functions, and applications. These macrocyclic peptides are around 30 amino acids in size and are characterized by their head-to-tail cyclic backbone and cystine knot motif, which render them to be exceptionally stable, with resistance to thermal or enzymatic degradation. Routes to their chemical synthesis have been developed over the past two decades, and this capability has facilitated a wide range of mutagenesis and structure-activity relationship studies. In turn, these studies have both led to an increased understanding of their mechanisms of action as well as facilitated a range of applications in agriculture and medicine, as ecofriendly crop protection agents, and as drug leads or scaffolds for pharmaceutical design. Our overall objective in this Review is to provide readers with a comprehensive overview of cyclotides that we hope will stimulate further work on this fascinating family of peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon J de Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - Meng-Wei Kan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland 4072 , Australia
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37
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Chittepu VCSR, Kalhotra P, Osorio-Gallardo T, Jiménez-Martínez C, Torre RRRDL, Gallardo-Velazquez T, Osorio-Revilla G. New Molecular Insights into the Inhibition of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 by Natural Cyclic Peptide Oxytocin. Molecules 2019; 24:E3887. [PMID: 31661941 PMCID: PMC6864445 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24213887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Protease inhibition has led to treating many diseases and has been successful in producing many commercial drugs by pharmaceutical companies. Among many proteases, serine protease has been attractive in treating metabolic disorder diabetes mellitus (DM). Gliptins have been proven to inhibit dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4), a serine protease, and are an emerging therapeutic drug target to reduce blood glucose levels, but until now there is no natural cyclic peptide proven to inhibit serine protease DPP4. This study demonstrates the potential mechanism of natural cyclic peptide oxytocin (OXT) as a DPP4 inhibitor. To achieve this, initially, activity atlas and field-based models of DPP4 inhibitors were utilized to predict the possible features of positive and negative electrostatic, hydrophobic, and activity shapes of DPP4 inhibition. Oxytocin binding mode, flexibility, and interacting residues were studied using molecular docking simulations studies. 3D-RISM calculations studies revealed that the stability of water molecules at the binding site are favorable. Finally, an experimental study using fluorescence assay revealed OXT inhibits DPP4 in a concentration-dependent manner in a significant way (p < 0.05) and possess IC50 of 110.7 nM. These new findings significantly expand the pharmaceutical application of cyclic peptides, and in specific OXT, and implicate further optimization of OXT inhibition capacity to understand the effect of DPP4 inhibition. This work highlights the development of natural cyclic peptides as future therapeutic peptides to reduce glucose levels and treat diabetes mellitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veera C S R Chittepu
- Departamento de Ingeniería Bioquímica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Av. Wilfrido Massieu S/N, Col. Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Zacatenco, Ciudad de Mexico 07738, Mexico.
| | - Poonam Kalhotra
- Departamento de Biofísica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Prolongación de Carpio y Plan de Ayala S/N, Col. Santo Tomás, CP. Ciudad de Mexico 11340, Mexico.
| | - Tzayhri Osorio-Gallardo
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Immunologia, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria Y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Av. Universidad #3000, Delegacion Coyoacan, Col. Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico.
| | - Cristian Jiménez-Martínez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Bioquímica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Av. Wilfrido Massieu S/N, Col. Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Zacatenco, Ciudad de Mexico 07738, Mexico.
| | - Raúl René Robles-de la Torre
- Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología Aplicada CIBA, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Carretera Estatal, Tecuexcomac-Tepetitla, Km 1.5, CP. Tlaxcala 90700, Mexico.
| | - Tzayhri Gallardo-Velazquez
- Departamento de Biofísica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Prolongación de Carpio y Plan de Ayala S/N, Col. Santo Tomás, CP. Ciudad de Mexico 11340, Mexico.
| | - Guillermo Osorio-Revilla
- Departamento de Ingeniería Bioquímica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Av. Wilfrido Massieu S/N, Col. Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Zacatenco, Ciudad de Mexico 07738, Mexico.
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38
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Pászti-Gere E, Szombath G, Gütschow M, Steinmetzer T, Székács A. 3-Amidinophenylalanine-derived matriptase inhibitors can modulate hepcidin production in vitro. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 2019; 393:511-520. [PMID: 31659405 PMCID: PMC7280348 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-019-01743-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Matriptase-2 (MT-2) is a type II transmembrane serine protease and predominantly attached to the surface of hepatocytes. MT-2 decreases the production of hepcidin, a key regulator of iron homeostasis. In this study, the effects of four 3-amidinophenylalanine-derived combined matriptase-1/matriptase-2 (MT-1/2) inhibitors (MI-432, MI-441, MI-460, and MI-461) on hepcidin production were investigated in hepatocyte mono- and hepatocyte-Kupffer cell co-cultures. In MI-461-treated cell cultures, the extracellular hydrogen peroxide contents and the interleukin-6 and -8 (IL-6 and IL-8) levels were determined and compared to controls. Hepcidin overproduction was observed in hepatocytes upon treatment with MI-432, MI-441 and MI-461 at 50 μM. In contrast, extracellular hydrogen peroxide levels were not elevated significantly after matriptase inhibition with MI-461. Furthermore, MI-461 did not induce increases in IL-6 and IL-8 levels in these hepatic models. A model of the binding mode of inhibitor MI-461 in complex with MT-2 revealed numerous polar contacts contributing to the nanomolar potency of this compound. Based on the in vitro data on hepcidin regulation, treatment with MI-461 might be valuable in pathological states of iron metabolism without causing excessive oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erzsébet Pászti-Gere
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Gergely Szombath
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Torsten Steinmetzer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - András Székács
- Agro-Environmental Research Institute, National Agricultural Research and Innovation Centre, Budapest, Hungary
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39
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Jing X, Jin K. A gold mine for drug discovery: Strategies to develop cyclic peptides into therapies. Med Res Rev 2019; 40:753-810. [PMID: 31599007 DOI: 10.1002/med.21639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
As a versatile therapeutic modality, peptides attract much attention because of their great binding affinity, low toxicity, and the capability of targeting traditionally "undruggable" protein surfaces. However, the deficiency of cell permeability and metabolic stability always limits the success of in vitro bioactive peptides as drug candidates. Peptide macrocyclization is one of the most established strategies to overcome these limitations. Over the past decades, more than 40 cyclic peptide drugs have been clinically approved, the vast majority of which are derived from natural products. The de novo discovered cyclic peptides on the basis of rational design and in vitro evolution, have also enabled the binding with targets for which nature provides no solutions. The current review summarizes different classes of cyclic peptides with diverse biological activities, and presents an overview of various approaches to develop cyclic peptide-based drug candidates, drawing upon series of examples to illustrate each strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoshu Jing
- Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Kang Jin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
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40
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Huang YH, Du Q, Craik DJ. Cyclotides: Disulfide-rich peptide toxins in plants. Toxicon 2019; 172:33-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.10.244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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41
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Zhang Y, Sanner MF. Docking Flexible Cyclic Peptides with AutoDock CrankPep. J Chem Theory Comput 2019; 15:5161-5168. [PMID: 31505931 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.9b00557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
While a new therapeutic cyclic peptide is approved nearly every year, docking large macrocycles has remained challenging. Here, we present a new version of our peptide docking software AutoDock CrankPep (ADCP), extended to dock peptides cyclized through their backbone and/or side chain disulfide bonds. We show that within the top 10 solutions, ADCP identifies the proper interactions for 71% of a data set of 38 complexes, thus making it a useful tool for rational peptide-based drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Zhang
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology , The Scripps Research Institute , La Jolla , California 92037 , United States
| | - Michel F Sanner
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology , The Scripps Research Institute , La Jolla , California 92037 , United States
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42
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Hellinger R, Gruber CW. Peptide-based protease inhibitors from plants. Drug Discov Today 2019; 24:1877-1889. [PMID: 31170506 PMCID: PMC6753016 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2019.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Proteases have an important role in homeostasis, and dysregulation of protease function can lead to pathogenesis. Therefore, proteases are promising drug targets in cancer, inflammation, and neurodegenerative disease research. Although there are well-established pharmaceuticals on the market, drug development for proteases is challenging. This is often caused by the limited selectivity of currently available lead compounds. Proteinaceous plant protease inhibitors are a diverse family of (poly)peptides that are important to maintain physiological homeostasis and to serve the innate defense machinery of the plant. In this review, we provide an overview of the diversity of plant peptide- and protein-based protease inhibitors (PIs), provide examples of such compounds that target human proteases, and discuss opportunities for these molecules in protease drug discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Hellinger
- Center for Pharmacology and Physiology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstr. 17, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian W Gruber
- Center for Pharmacology and Physiology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstr. 17, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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43
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Franke B, Mylne JS, Rosengren KJ. Buried treasure: biosynthesis, structures and applications of cyclic peptides hidden in seed storage albumins. Nat Prod Rep 2019; 35:137-146. [PMID: 29379937 DOI: 10.1039/c7np00066a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Covering: 1999 up to the end of 2017The small cyclic peptide SunFlower Trypsin Inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1) from sunflower seeds is the prototypic member of a novel family of natural products. The biosynthesis of these peptides is intriguing as their gene-encoded peptide backbone emerges from a precursor protein that also contains a seed storage albumin. The peptide sequence is cleaved out from the precursor and cyclised by the albumin-maturing enzymatic machinery. Three-dimensional solution NMR structures of a number of these peptides, and of the intact precursor protein preproalbumin with SFTI-1, have now been elucidated. Furthermore, the evolution of the family has been described and a detailed understanding of the biosynthetic steps, which are necessary to produce cyclic SFTI-1, is emerging. Macrocyclisation provides peptide stability and thus represents a key strategy in peptide drug development. Consequently the constrained structure of SFTI-1 has been explored as a template for protein engineering, for tuning selectivity towards clinically relevant proteases and for grafting in sequences with completely novel functions. Here we review the discovery of the SFTI-1 peptide family, their evolution, biosynthetic origin, and structural features, as well as highlight the potential applications of this unique class of natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Franke
- The University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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44
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Poth AG, Huang YH, Le TT, Kan MW, Craik DJ. Pharmacokinetic characterization of kalata B1 and related therapeutics built on the cyclotide scaffold. Int J Pharm 2019; 565:437-446. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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45
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Jackson MA, Yap K, Poth AG, Gilding EK, Swedberg JE, Poon S, Qu H, Durek T, Harris K, Anderson MA, Craik DJ. Rapid and Scalable Plant-Based Production of a Potent Plasmin Inhibitor Peptide. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:602. [PMID: 31156672 PMCID: PMC6530601 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The backbone cyclic and disulfide bridged sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1) peptide is a proven effective scaffold for a range of peptide therapeutics. For production at laboratory scale, solid phase peptide synthesis techniques are widely used, but these synthetic approaches are costly and environmentally taxing at large scale. Here, we developed a plant-based approach for the recombinant production of SFTI-1-based peptide drugs. We show that transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana allows for rapid peptide production, provided that asparaginyl endopeptidase enzymes with peptide-ligase functionality are co-expressed with the substrate peptide gene. Without co-expression, no target cyclic peptides are detected, reflecting rapid in planta degradation of non-cyclized substrate. We test this recombinant production system by expressing a SFTI-1-based therapeutic candidate that displays potent and selective inhibition of human plasmin. By using an innovative multi-unit peptide expression cassette, we show that in planta yields reach ~60 μg/g dry weight at 6 days post leaf infiltration. Using nuclear magnetic resonance structural analysis and functional in vitro assays, we demonstrate the equivalence of plant and synthetically derived plasmin inhibitor peptide. The methods and insights gained in this study provide opportunities for the large scale, cost effective production of SFTI-1-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. Jackson
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Kuok Yap
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Aaron G. Poth
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Edward K. Gilding
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Joakim E. Swedberg
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Simon Poon
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Haiou Qu
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Thomas Durek
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Karen Harris
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Marilyn A. Anderson
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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46
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Riley BT, Ilyichova O, de Veer SJ, Swedberg JE, Wilson E, Hoke DE, Harris JM, Buckle AM. KLK4 Inhibition by Cyclic and Acyclic Peptides: Structural and Dynamical Insights into Standard-Mechanism Protease Inhibitors. Biochemistry 2019; 58:2524-2533. [PMID: 31058493 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Sunflower trypsin inhibitor (SFTI-1) is a 14 amino acid serine protease inhibitor. The dual antiparallel β-sheet arrangement of SFTI-1 is stabilized by an N-terminal-C-terminal backbone cyclization and a further disulfide bridge to form a final bicyclic structure. This constrained structure is further rigidified by an extensive network of internal hydrogen bonds. Thus, the structure of SFTI-1 in solution resembles the protease-bound structure, reducing the entropic penalty upon protease binding. When cleaved at the scissile bond, it is thought that the rigidifying features of SFTI-1 maintain its structure, allowing the scissile bond to be reformed. The lack of structural plasticity for SFTI-1 is proposed to favor initial protease binding and continued occupancy in the protease active site, resulting in an equilibrium between the cleaved and uncleaved inhibitor in the presence of a protease. We have determined, at 1.15 Å resolution, the X-ray crystal structures of complexes between human kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (KLK4) and SFTI-FCQR(Asn14) and between KLK4 and an acyclic form of the same inhibitor, SFTI-FCQR(Asn14)[1,14], with the latter displaying a cleaved scissile bond. Structural analysis and MD simulations together reveal the roles of the altered contact sequence, intramolecular hydrogen bonding network, and backbone cyclization in altering the state of SFTI's scissile bond ligation at the protease active site. Taken together, the data presented reveal insights into the role of dynamics in the standard-mechanism inhibition and suggest that modifications on the non-contact strand may be a useful, underexplored approach for generating further potent or selective SFTI-based inhibitors against members of the serine protease family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake T Riley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute , Monash University , Clayton , Victoria 3800 , Australia
| | - Olga Ilyichova
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute , Monash University , Clayton , Victoria 3800 , Australia
| | - Simon J de Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - Joakim E Swedberg
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - Emily Wilson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute , Monash University , Clayton , Victoria 3800 , Australia
| | - David E Hoke
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute , Monash University , Clayton , Victoria 3800 , Australia
| | - Jonathan M Harris
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation , Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane , Queensland 4059 , Australia
| | - Ashley M Buckle
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute , Monash University , Clayton , Victoria 3800 , Australia
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47
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Camarero JA, Campbell MJ. The Potential of the Cyclotide Scaffold for Drug Development. Biomedicines 2019; 7:biomedicines7020031. [PMID: 31010257 PMCID: PMC6631875 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines7020031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclotides are a novel class of micro-proteins (≈30-40 residues long) with a unique topology containing a head-to-tail cyclized backbone structure further stabilized by three disulfide bonds that form a cystine knot. This unique molecular framework makes them exceptionally stable to physical, chemical, and biological degradation compared to linear peptides of similar size. The cyclotides are also highly tolerant to sequence variability, aside from the conserved residues forming the cystine knot, and are orally bioavailable and able to cross cellular membranes to modulate intracellular protein-protein interactions (PPIs), both in vitro and in vivo. These unique properties make them ideal scaffolds for many biotechnological applications, including drug discovery. This review provides an overview of the properties of cyclotides and their potential for the development of novel peptide-based therapeutics. The selective disruption of PPIs still remains a very challenging task, as the interacting surfaces are relatively large and flat. The use of the cell-permeable highly constrained polypeptide molecular frameworks, such as the cyclotide scaffold, has shown great promise, as it provides unique pharmacological properties. The use of molecular techniques, such as epitope grafting, and molecular evolution have shown to be highly effective for the selection of bioactive cyclotides. However, despite successes in employing cyclotides to target PPIs, some of the challenges to move them into the clinic still remain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio A Camarero
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 9033, USA.
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 9033, USA.
| | - Maria Jose Campbell
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 9033, USA.
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48
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Li CY, de Veer SJ, White AM, Chen X, Harris JM, Swedberg JE, Craik DJ. Amino Acid Scanning at P5' within the Bowman-Birk Inhibitory Loop Reveals Specificity Trends for Diverse Serine Proteases. J Med Chem 2019; 62:3696-3706. [PMID: 30888159 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1) is a 14-amino acid cyclic peptide that shares an inhibitory loop with a sequence and structure similar to a larger family of serine protease inhibitors, the Bowman-Birk inhibitors. Here, we focus on the P5' residue in the Bowman-Birk inhibitory loop and produce a library of SFTI variants to characterize the P5' specificity of 11 different proteases. We identify seven amino acids that are generally preferred by these enzymes and also correlate with P5' sequence diversity in naturally occurring Bowman-Birk inhibitors. Additionally, we show that several enzymes have divergent specificities that can be harnessed in engineering studies. By optimizing the P5' residue, we improve the potency or selectivity of existing inhibitors for kallikrein-related peptidase 5 and show that a variant with substitutions at 7 of the scaffold's 14 residues retains a similar structure to SFTI-1. These findings provide new insights into P5' specificity requirements for the Bowman-Birk inhibitory loop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Choi Yi Li
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Simon J de Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Andrew M White
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Xingchen Chen
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation , Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane QLD 4059 , Australia
| | - Jonathan M Harris
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation , Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane QLD 4059 , Australia
| | - Joakim E Swedberg
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane QLD 4072 , Australia
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49
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Mirza AZ, Shamshad H. QSAR and Docking Studies on Piperidyl-cyclohexylurea Derivatives for Prediction of Selective and Potent Inhibitor of Matriptase. Curr Comput Aided Drug Des 2019; 15:167-181. [DOI: 10.2174/1573409914666180516162349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background: QSAR models as PLS, GFA, and 3D were developed for a series of matriptase
inhibitors using 35 piperidyl-cyclohexylurea compounds. The training and test sets were divided into a
set of 28 and 8 compounds, respectively and the pki values of each compound were used in the analysis.
Methods:
Docking and alignment methodologies were used to develop models in 3D QSAR. The best
models among all were selected on the basis of regression statistics as r2, predictive r2 and Friedman
Lack of fit measure. Hydrogen donors and rotatable bonds were found to be positively correlated properties
for this target. The models were validated and used for the prediction of new compounds. Based
on the predictions of 3D-QSAR model, 17 new compounds were prepared and their activities were predicted
and compared with the active compound. Prediction of activities was performed for these 18
compounds using consensus results of all models. ADMET was also performed for the best-chosen
compound and compared with the known active.
Results and Conclusion:
The developed model was able to validate the obtained results and can be
successfully used to predict new potential and active compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agha Zeeshan Mirza
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hina Shamshad
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan
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50
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Structural studies of plasmin inhibition. Biochem Soc Trans 2019; 47:541-557. [DOI: 10.1042/bst20180211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Plasminogen (Plg) is the zymogen form of the serine protease plasmin (Plm), and it plays a crucial role in fibrinolysis as well as wound healing, immunity, tissue remodeling and inflammation. Binding to the targets via the lysine-binding sites allows for Plg activation by plasminogen activators (PAs) present on the same target. Cellular uptake of fibrin degradation products leads to apoptosis, which represents one of the pathways for cross-talk between fibrinolysis and tissue remodeling. Therapeutic manipulation of Plm activity plays a vital role in the treatments of a range of diseases, whereas Plm inhibitors are used in trauma and surgeries as antifibrinolytic agents. Plm inhibitors are also used in conditions such as angioedema, menorrhagia and melasma. Here, we review the rationale for the further development of new Plm inhibitors, with a particular focus on the structural studies of the active site inhibitors of Plm. We compare the binding mode of different classes of inhibitors and comment on how it relates to their efficacy, as well as possible future developments.
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