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Castro J, Harrington AM, Garcia-Caraballo S, Maddern J, Grundy L, Zhang J, Page G, Miller PE, Craik DJ, Adams DJ, Brierley SM. α-Conotoxin Vc1.1 inhibits human dorsal root ganglion neuroexcitability and mouse colonic nociception via GABA B receptors. Gut 2017; 66:1083-1094. [PMID: 26887818 PMCID: PMC5532460 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2015-310971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Revised: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE α-Conotoxin Vc1.1 is a small disulfide-bonded peptide from the venom of the marine cone snail Conus victoriae. Vc1.1 has antinociceptive actions in animal models of neuropathic pain, but its applicability to inhibiting human dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuroexcitability and reducing chronic visceral pain (CVP) is unknown. DESIGN We determined the inhibitory actions of Vc1.1 on human DRG neurons and on mouse colonic sensory afferents in healthy and chronic visceral hypersensitivity (CVH) states. In mice, visceral nociception was assessed by neuronal activation within the spinal cord in response to noxious colorectal distension (CRD). Quantitative-reverse-transcription-PCR, single-cell-reverse-transcription-PCR and immunohistochemistry determined γ-aminobutyric acid receptor B (GABABR) and voltage-gated calcium channel (CaV2.2, CaV2.3) expression in human and mouse DRG neurons. RESULTS Vc1.1 reduced the excitability of human DRG neurons, whereas a synthetic Vc1.1 analogue that is inactive at GABABR did not. Human DRG neurons expressed GABABR and its downstream effector channels CaV2.2 and CaV2.3. Mouse colonic DRG neurons exhibited high GABABR, CaV2.2 and CaV2.3 expression, with upregulation of the CaV2.2 exon-37a variant during CVH. Vc1.1 inhibited mouse colonic afferents ex vivo and nociceptive signalling of noxious CRD into the spinal cord in vivo, with greatest efficacy observed during CVH. A selective GABABR antagonist prevented Vc1.1-induced inhibition, whereas blocking both CaV2.2 and CaV2.3 caused inhibition comparable with Vc1.1 alone. CONCLUSIONS Vc1.1-mediated activation of GABABR is a novel mechanism for reducing the excitability of human DRG neurons. Vc1.1-induced activation of GABABR on the peripheral endings of colonic afferents reduces nociceptive signalling. The enhanced antinociceptive actions of Vc1.1 during CVH suggest it is a novel candidate for the treatment for CVP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Castro
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Discipline of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Andrea M Harrington
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Discipline of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sonia Garcia-Caraballo
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Discipline of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Jessica Maddern
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Discipline of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Luke Grundy
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Discipline of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | - Guy Page
- Anabios, San Diego, California, USA
| | | | - David J Craik
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - David J Adams
- Illawarra Health & Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Stuart M Brierley
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Discipline of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Nielsen DS, Shepherd NE, Xu W, Lucke AJ, Stoermer MJ, Fairlie DP. Orally Absorbed Cyclic Peptides. Chem Rev 2017; 117:8094-8128. [PMID: 28541045 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 266] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Peptides and proteins are not orally bioavailable in mammals, although a few peptides are intestinally absorbed in small amounts. Polypeptides are generally too large and polar to passively diffuse through lipid membranes, while most known active transport mechanisms facilitate cell uptake of only very small peptides. Systematic evaluations of peptides with molecular weights above 500 Da are needed to identify parameters that influence oral bioavailability. Here we describe 125 cyclic peptides containing four to thirty-seven amino acids that are orally absorbed by mammals. Cyclization minimizes degradation in the gut, blood, and tissues by removing cleavable N- and C-termini and by shielding components from metabolic enzymes. Cyclization also folds peptides into bioactive conformations that determine exposure of polar atoms to solvation by water and lipids and therefore can influence oral bioavailability. Key chemical properties thought to influence oral absorption and bioavailability are analyzed, including molecular weight, octanol-water partitioning, hydrogen bond donors/acceptors, rotatable bonds, and polar surface area. The cyclic peptides violated to different degrees all of the limits traditionally considered to be important for oral bioavailability of drug-like small molecules, although fewer hydrogen bond donors and reduced flexibility generally favored oral absorption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Nielsen
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, and ‡Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Nicholas E Shepherd
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, and ‡Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Weijun Xu
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, and ‡Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lucke
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, and ‡Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Martin J Stoermer
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, and ‡Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - David P Fairlie
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, and ‡Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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Sadeghi M, McArthur JR, Finol-Urdaneta RK, Adams DJ. Analgesic conopeptides targeting G protein-coupled receptors reduce excitability of sensory neurons. Neuropharmacology 2017; 127:116-123. [PMID: 28533165 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Conotoxins (conopeptides) are a diverse group of peptides isolated from the venom of marine cone snails. Conus peptides modulate pain by interacting with voltage-gated ion channels and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Opiate drugs targeting GPCRs have long been used, nonetheless, many undesirable side effects associated with opiates have been observed including addiction. Consequently, alternative avenues to pain management are a largely unmet need. It has been shown that various voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) respond to GPCR modulation. Thus, regulation of VGCCs by GPCRs has become a valuable alternative in the management of pain. In this review, we focus on analgesic conotoxins that exert their effects via GPCR-mediated inhibition of ion channels involved in nociception and pain transmission. Specifically, α-conotoxin Vc1.1 activation of GABAB receptors and inhibition of voltage-gated calcium channels as a novel mechanism for reducing the excitability of dorsal root ganglion neurons is described. Vc1.1 and other α-conotoxins have been shown to be analgesic in different animal models of chronic pain. This review will outline the functional effects of conopeptide modulation of GPCRs and how their signalling is translated to downstream components of the pain pathways. Where available we present the proposed signalling mechanisms that couples metabotropic receptor activation to their downstream effectors to produce analgesia. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Venom-derived Peptides as Pharmacological Tools.'
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Sadeghi
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia
| | - Jeffrey R McArthur
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia
| | - Rocio K Finol-Urdaneta
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia
| | - David J Adams
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia.
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104
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Peptides, Peptidomimetics, and Polypeptides from Marine Sources: A Wealth of Natural Sources for Pharmaceutical Applications. Mar Drugs 2017; 15:md15040124. [PMID: 28441741 PMCID: PMC5408270 DOI: 10.3390/md15040124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nature provides a variety of peptides that are expressed in most living species. Evolutionary pressure and natural selection have created and optimized these peptides to bind to receptors with high affinity. Hence, natural resources provide an abundant chemical space to be explored in peptide-based drug discovery. Marine peptides can be extracted by simple solvent extraction techniques. The advancement of analytical techniques has made it possible to obtain pure peptides from natural resources. Extracted peptides have been evaluated as possible therapeutic agents for a wide range of diseases, including antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic and anticancer activity as well as cardiovascular and neurotoxin activity. Although marine resources provide thousands of possible peptides, only a few peptides derived from marine sources have reached the pharmaceutical market. This review focuses on some of the peptides derived from marine sources in the past ten years and gives a brief review of those that are currently in clinical trials or on the market.
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106
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Zheng Y, Li Z, Ren J, Liu W, Wu Y, Zhao Y, Wu C. Artificial disulfide-rich peptide scaffolds with precisely defined disulfide patterns and a minimized number of isomers. Chem Sci 2017; 8:2547-2552. [PMID: 28553486 PMCID: PMC5431680 DOI: 10.1039/c6sc05710a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Disulfide-rich peptides are emerging as potential templates for drug design applications. However, the synthesis and reengineering of disulfide-rich peptides are challenging, owing to the complexity of the oxidative folding process involving a number of diverse isomeric structures. Novel disulfide-rich peptide scaffolds that are not besieged by their disulfide isomers are still greatly desired. In this work, we report the design and synthesis of a novel class of artificial disulfide-rich peptide scaffolds with precisely defined disulfide patterns and a minimized number of isomers. In theory, natural peptides with three disulfide bonds have 15 possible isomers. By rationally engineering the thiol-framework of a peptide containing six cysteines with penicillamines and a dithiol amino acid, we demonstrated, for the first time, that the total number of isomers formed after oxidative folding can be decreased to a minimum of two (i.e., from 15 to 2). As fewer isomeric folds are involved in the oxidative folding, the pathway of the folding becomes more concise and the yield of the artificial scaffolds is substantially increased compared to that of its six-cysteine-containing analogue, which makes the artificial disulfide-rich scaffolds (with only 2 predefined isomeric folds) extremely promising for being exploited as structurally complex templates for the design of peptide therapeutics and ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwu Zheng
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation , State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces , Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials , Department of Chemistry , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Xiamen University , Xiamen , 361005 , P.R. China .
| | - Zhuoru Li
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation , State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces , Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials , Department of Chemistry , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Xiamen University , Xiamen , 361005 , P.R. China .
| | - Jing Ren
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation , State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces , Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials , Department of Chemistry , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Xiamen University , Xiamen , 361005 , P.R. China .
| | - Weidong Liu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation , State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces , Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials , Department of Chemistry , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Xiamen University , Xiamen , 361005 , P.R. China .
| | - Yaqi Wu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation , State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces , Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials , Department of Chemistry , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Xiamen University , Xiamen , 361005 , P.R. China .
| | - Yibing Zhao
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation , State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces , Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials , Department of Chemistry , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Xiamen University , Xiamen , 361005 , P.R. China .
| | - Chuanliu Wu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation , State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces , Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials , Department of Chemistry , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Xiamen University , Xiamen , 361005 , P.R. China .
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107
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Netirojjanakul C, Miranda LP. Progress and challenges in the optimization of toxin peptides for development as pain therapeutics. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2017; 38:70-79. [PMID: 28376346 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2017.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 02/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The number of new toxin peptide discoveries has been rapidly growing in the past few decades. Because of progress in proteomics, sequencing technologies, and high throughput bioassays, the search for new toxin peptides from venom collections and potency optimization has become manageable. However, to date, only six toxin peptide-derived therapeutics have been approved by the USFDA, with only one, ziconotide, for a pain indication. The challenge of venom-derived peptide therapeutic development remains in improving selectivity to the target and more importantly, in delivery of these peptides to the sites of action in the central and peripheral nervous system. In this review, we highlight peptide toxins that target major therapeutic targets for pain and discuss the challenges of developing toxin peptides as potential therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chawita Netirojjanakul
- Therapeutic Discovery, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA.
| | - Les P Miranda
- Therapeutic Discovery, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA
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108
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Liu W, Zheng Y, Kong X, Heinis C, Zhao Y, Wu C. Precisely Regulated and Efficient Locking of Linear Peptides into Stable Multicyclic Topologies through a One-Pot Reaction. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017; 56:4458-4463. [PMID: 28240444 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201610942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Revised: 01/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
We report the discovery of a small phenyl molecule with four isosteric thiolate-reactive groups of sequentially varied reactivity. This molecule was exploited in combination with cysteine/penicillamine thiolates of different nucleophilic reactivity for precisely regulated and efficient locking (PROP-locking) of linear peptides into multicyclic topologies through a one-pot reaction. The PROP-locking relies on multistep and sequential thiolate/fluorine nucleophilic substitutions, which is not only rapid but highly specific, thus enabling rapid locking of peptides with high amino acid diversities without protecting groups. Several tricyclic peptide templates and bioactive peptides were designed and synthesized using the PROP-locking strategy. We believe that tricyclic peptides precisely locked through stable thioether bonds should be promising structurally constrained scaffolds for developing potential therapeutics and target ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weidong Liu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P.R. China
| | - Yiwu Zheng
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P.R. China
| | - Xudong Kong
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian Heinis
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yibing Zhao
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P.R. China
| | - Chuanliu Wu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P.R. China
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109
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Liu W, Zheng Y, Kong X, Heinis C, Zhao Y, Wu C. Precisely Regulated and Efficient Locking of Linear Peptides into Stable Multicyclic Topologies through a One-Pot Reaction. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201610942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Weidong Liu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation; State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces; Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials; Department of Chemistry; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Xiamen University; Xiamen 361005 P.R. China
| | - Yiwu Zheng
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation; State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces; Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials; Department of Chemistry; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Xiamen University; Xiamen 361005 P.R. China
| | - Xudong Kong
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering; Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne; 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Christian Heinis
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering; Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne; 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Yibing Zhao
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation; State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces; Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials; Department of Chemistry; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Xiamen University; Xiamen 361005 P.R. China
| | - Chuanliu Wu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation; State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces; Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials; Department of Chemistry; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Xiamen University; Xiamen 361005 P.R. China
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110
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Voloshchuk N, Chen L, Li Q, Liang JF. Peptide oligomers from ultra-short peptides using sortase. Biochem Biophys Rep 2017; 10:1-6. [PMID: 28955731 PMCID: PMC5614665 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2017.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Sortase A catalyzed ligation of ultra-short peptides leads to inter/intra-molecular transpeptidation to form either linear or cyclic oligomers dependent upon the peptide length. Cyclic peptides were the main products for peptides with more than 15aa. However, for ultra-short (<15aa) peptides, cyclic oligomers became predominant in prolonged reactions. Peptides with 1-3 aminoglycines were equally active but peptide oligomers from peptide containing more than one aminoglycine were prone to hydrolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalya Voloshchuk
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, and Biomedical Engineering, Charles V. Schaefer School of Engineering and Sciences, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
| | - Long Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, and Biomedical Engineering, Charles V. Schaefer School of Engineering and Sciences, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
| | - Qiang Li
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, and Biomedical Engineering, Charles V. Schaefer School of Engineering and Sciences, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
| | - Jun F Liang
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, and Biomedical Engineering, Charles V. Schaefer School of Engineering and Sciences, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
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111
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Thapa P, Cabalteja CC, Philips EE, Espiritu MJ, Peigneur S, Mille BG, Tytgat J, Cummins TR, Bingham JP. t-boc synthesis of huwentoxin-i through native chemical ligation incorporating a trifluoromethanesulfonic acid cleavage strategy. Biopolymers 2017; 106:737-45. [PMID: 27271997 DOI: 10.1002/bip.22887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Tert-butyloxycarbonyl (t-Boc)-based native chemical ligation (NCL) techniques commonly employ hydrogen fluoride (HF) to create the thioester fragment required for the ligation process. Our research aimed to assess the replacement of HF with Trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMSA). Here we examined a 33 amino acid test peptide, Huwentoxin-I (HwTx-I) as a novel candidate for our TFMSA cleavage protocol. Structurally HwTx-I has an X-Cys(16) -Cys(17) -X sequence mid-region, which makes it an ideal candidate for NCL. Experiments determined that the best yields (16.8%) obtained for 50 mg of a thioester support resin were achieved with a TFMSA volume of 100 μL with a 0.5-h incubation on ice, followed by 2.0 h at room temperature. RP-HPLC/UV and mass spectra indicated the appropriate parent mass and retention of the cleaved HwTx-I N-terminal thioester fragment (Ala(1) -Cys(16) ), which was used in preparation for NCL. The resulting chemically ligated HwTx-I was oxidized/folded, purified, and then assessed for pharmacological target selectivity. Native-like HwTx-I produced by this method yielded an EC50 value of 340.5 ± 26.8 nM for Nav 1.2 and an EC50 value of 504.1 ± 81.3 nM for Nav 1.3, this being similar to previous literature results using native material. This article represents the first NCL based synthesis of this potent sodium channel blocker. Our illustrated approach removes potential restrictions in the advancement of NCL as a common peptide laboratory technique with minimal investment, and removes the hazards associated with HF usage. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 106: 737-745, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parashar Thapa
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, 96822
| | - Chino C Cabalteja
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, 96822
| | - Edwin E Philips
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, 96822
| | - Michael J Espiritu
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, 96822
| | - Steve Peigneur
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Campus Gasthuisberg O&N II, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Bea G Mille
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Campus Gasthuisberg O&N II, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Campus Gasthuisberg O&N II, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Theodore R Cummins
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, 320 West 25th Street, NB-414F, Indianapolis, IN, 46202-2266
| | - Jon-Paul Bingham
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, 96822.
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112
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Nigro E, Colavita I, Sarnataro D, Scudiero O, Daniele A, Salvatore F, Pessi A. Host defense peptide-derived privileged scaffolds for anti-infective drug discovery. J Pept Sci 2017; 23:303-310. [DOI: 10.1002/psc.2962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ersilia Nigro
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate; Via Gaetano Salvatore 486 80145 Naples Italy
| | - Irene Colavita
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate; Via Gaetano Salvatore 486 80145 Naples Italy
| | - Daniela Sarnataro
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate; Via Gaetano Salvatore 486 80145 Naples Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology; University of Naples Federico II; Via Pansini 5 80131 Naples Italy
| | - Olga Scudiero
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate; Via Gaetano Salvatore 486 80145 Naples Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology; University of Naples Federico II; Via Pansini 5 80131 Naples Italy
| | - Aurora Daniele
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate; Via Gaetano Salvatore 486 80145 Naples Italy
- Department of Environmental, Biological, and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies; Second University of Naples; Via Vivaldi 43 81100 Caserta Italy
| | - Francesco Salvatore
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate; Via Gaetano Salvatore 486 80145 Naples Italy
- IRCCS-SDN Foundation; Via Emanuele Gianturco 113 80142 Naples Italy
| | - Antonello Pessi
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate; Via Gaetano Salvatore 486 80145 Naples Italy
- PeptiPharma; Viale Città D'Europa 679 00144 Rome Italy
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113
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Qu H, Smithies BJ, Durek T, Craik DJ. Synthesis and Protein Engineering Applications of Cyclotides. Aust J Chem 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/ch16589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cyclotides are a group of plant-derived peptides with a head-to-tail cyclized backbone that is stabilized by three knotted disulfide bonds. Their exceptional stability and tolerance for residue substitutions have led to interest in their application as drug design scaffolds. To date, chemical synthesis has been the dominant methodology for producing cyclotides and their analogues. Native chemical ligation is the most common strategy to generate the cyclic backbone and has been highly successful at producing a wide range of cyclotides for studies of structure–activity relationships. Both this and other chemical approaches require a specific linker at the C-terminus and typically involve a non-directed folding (disulfide oxidation) regimen, which can sometimes be a limiting factor in final yields. Following the recent discovery of enzymes involved in peptide cyclization in planta, site-specific and highly efficient enzymatic ligations have been used for synthetic cyclotide backbone cyclization. In this review, chemical synthesis strategies and approaches involving cyclization via enzymes for the production of cyclotides are described.
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Molecular Engineering of Conus Peptides as Therapeutic Leads. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 1030:229-254. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-66095-0_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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115
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Chen Y, Li T, Li J, Cheng S, Wang J, Verma C, Zhao Y, Wu C. Stabilization of peptides against proteolysis through disulfide-bridged conjugation with synthetic aromatics. Org Biomol Chem 2017; 15:1921-1929. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ob02786e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
We developed an efficient strategy for the stabilization of peptides against proteolysis, which involves noncovalent π–π interactions between aromatic amino acid residues in peptides and synthetic electron-deficient aromatics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqi Chen
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces
- Department of Chemistry
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Xiamen University
| | - Tao Li
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces
- Department of Chemistry
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Xiamen University
| | - Jianguo Li
- Singapore Eye Research Institute
- Singapore
- Bioinformatics Institute (A*STAR)
- Singapore
| | - Shiyan Cheng
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces
- Department of Chemistry
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Xiamen University
| | - Jinghui Wang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces
- Department of Chemistry
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Xiamen University
| | - Chandra Verma
- Bioinformatics Institute (A*STAR)
- Singapore
- National University of Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences
- Singapore
| | - Yibing Zhao
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces
- Department of Chemistry
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Xiamen University
| | - Chuanliu Wu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces
- Department of Chemistry
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Xiamen University
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116
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Matsuura HN, Poth AG, Yendo ACA, Fett-Neto AG, Craik DJ. Isolation and Characterization of Cyclotides from Brazilian Psychotria: Significance in Plant Defense and Co-occurrence with Antioxidant Alkaloids. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2016; 79:3006-3013. [PMID: 28006906 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.6b00492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Plants from the genus Psychotria include species bearing cyclotides and/or alkaloids. The elucidation of factors affecting the metabolism of these molecules as well as their activities may help to understand their ecological function. In the present study, high concentrations of antioxidant indole alkaloids were found to co-occur with cyclotides in Psychotria leiocarpa and P. brachyceras. The concentrations of the major cyclotides and alkaloids in P. leiocarpa and P. brachyceras were monitored following herbivore- and pathogen-associated challenges, revealing a constitutive, phytoanticipin-like accumulation pattern. Psyleio A, the most abundant cyclotide found in the leaves of P. leiocarpa, and also found in P. brachyceras leaves, exhibited insecticidal activity against Helicoverpa armigera larvae. Addition of ethanol in the vehicle for peptide solubilization in larval feeding trials proved deleterious to insecticidal activity and resulted in increased rates of larval survival in treatments containing indole alkaloids. This suggests that plant alkaloids ingested by larvae might contribute to herbivore oxidative stress detoxification, corroborating, in a heterologous system with artificial oxidative stress stimulation, the antioxidant efficiency of Psychotria alkaloids previously observed in planta. Overall, the present study reports data for eight novel cyclotides, the identification of P. leiocarpa as a cyclotide-bearing species, and the absence of these peptides in P. umbellata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélio N Matsuura
- Center for Biotechnology and Department of Botany, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul , Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Aaron G Poth
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Anna C A Yendo
- Center for Biotechnology and Department of Botany, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul , Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Arthur G Fett-Neto
- Center for Biotechnology and Department of Botany, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul , Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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117
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Wang CK, Craik DJ. Cyclic peptide oral bioavailability: Lessons from the past. Biopolymers 2016; 106:901-909. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.22878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Revised: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Conan K Wang
- 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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118
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Carstens BB, Swedberg J, Berecki G, Adams DJ, Craik DJ, Clark RJ. Effects of linker sequence modifications on the structure, stability, and biological activity of a cyclic α-conotoxin. Biopolymers 2016; 106:864-875. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.22848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bodil B. Carstens
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, the University of Queensland; Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences; the University of Queensland; Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Joakim Swedberg
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, the University of Queensland; Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Géza Berecki
- Health Innovations Research Institute, RMIT University; Melbourne Victoria 3083 Australia
| | - David J. Adams
- Health Innovations Research Institute, RMIT University; Melbourne Victoria 3083 Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, the University of Queensland; Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Richard J. Clark
- School of Biomedical Sciences; the University of Queensland; Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
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119
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Barkan DT, Cheng XL, Celino H, Tran TT, Bhandari A, Craik CS, Sali A, Smythe ML. Clustering of disulfide-rich peptides provides scaffolds for hit discovery by phage display: application to interleukin-23. BMC Bioinformatics 2016; 17:481. [PMID: 27881076 PMCID: PMC5120537 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-016-1350-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disulfide-rich peptides (DRPs) are found throughout nature. They are suitable scaffolds for drug development due to their small cores, whose disulfide bonds impart extraordinary chemical and biological stability. A challenge in developing a DRP therapeutic is to engineer binding to a specific target. This challenge can be overcome by (i) sampling the large sequence space of a given scaffold through a phage display library and by (ii) panning multiple libraries encoding structurally distinct scaffolds. Here, we implement a protocol for defining these diverse scaffolds, based on clustering structurally defined DRPs according to their conformational similarity. RESULTS We developed and applied a hierarchical clustering protocol based on DRP structural similarity, followed by two post-processing steps, to classify 806 unique DRP structures into 81 clusters. The 20 most populated clusters comprised 85% of all DRPs. Representative scaffolds were selected from each of these clusters; the representatives were structurally distinct from one another, but similar to other DRPs in their respective clusters. To demonstrate the utility of the clusters, phage libraries were constructed for three of the representative scaffolds and panned against interleukin-23. One library produced a peptide that bound to this target with an IC50 of 3.3 μM. CONCLUSIONS Most DRP clusters contained members that were diverse in sequence, host organism, and interacting proteins, indicating that cluster members were functionally diverse despite having similar structure. Only 20 peptide scaffolds accounted for most of the natural DRP structural diversity, providing suitable starting points for seeding phage display experiments. Through selection of the scaffold surface to vary in phage display, libraries can be designed that present sequence diversity in architecturally distinct, biologically relevant combinations of secondary structures. We supported this hypothesis with a proof-of-concept experiment in which three phage libraries were constructed and panned against the IL-23 target, resulting in a single-digit μM hit and suggesting that a collection of libraries based on the full set of 20 scaffolds increases the potential to identify efficiently peptide binders to a protein target in a drug discovery program.
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Affiliation(s)
- David T Barkan
- Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc., 521 Cottonwood Drive, Suite 100, Milpitas, CA, 95035-74521, USA
| | - Xiao-Li Cheng
- Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc., 521 Cottonwood Drive, Suite 100, Milpitas, CA, 95035-74521, USA
| | - Herodion Celino
- Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc., 521 Cottonwood Drive, Suite 100, Milpitas, CA, 95035-74521, USA
| | - Tran T Tran
- Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc., 521 Cottonwood Drive, Suite 100, Milpitas, CA, 95035-74521, USA
| | - Ashok Bhandari
- Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc., 521 Cottonwood Drive, Suite 100, Milpitas, CA, 95035-74521, USA
| | - Charles S Craik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.,California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Andrej Sali
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.,California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Mark L Smythe
- Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc., 521 Cottonwood Drive, Suite 100, Milpitas, CA, 95035-74521, USA. .,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia.
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120
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Lebbe EKM, Tytgat J. In the picture: disulfide-poor conopeptides, a class of pharmacologically interesting compounds. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2016; 22:30. [PMID: 27826319 PMCID: PMC5100318 DOI: 10.1186/s40409-016-0083-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
During evolution, nature has embraced different strategies for species to survive. One strategy, applied by predators as diverse as snakes, scorpions, sea anemones and cone snails, is using venom to immobilize or kill a prey. This venom offers a unique and extensive source of chemical diversity as it is driven by the evolutionary pressure to improve prey capture and/or to protect their species. Cone snail venom is an example of the remarkable diversity in pharmacologically active small peptides that venoms can consist of. These venom peptides, called conopeptides, are classified into two main groups based on the number of cysteine residues, namely disulfide-rich and disulfide-poor conopeptides. Since disulfide-poor conotoxins are minor components of this venom cocktail, the number of identified peptides and the characterization of these peptides is far outclassed by its cysteine-rich equivalents. This review provides an overview of 12 families of disulfide-poor peptides identified to date as well as the state of affairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline K M Lebbe
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, KU Leuven, O&N2, Box 922, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, KU Leuven, O&N2, Box 922, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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122
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Residues Responsible for the Selectivity of α-Conotoxins for Ac-AChBP or nAChRs. Mar Drugs 2016; 14:md14100173. [PMID: 27727162 PMCID: PMC5082321 DOI: 10.3390/md14100173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are targets for developing new drugs to treat severe pain, nicotine addiction, Alzheimer disease, epilepsy, etc. α-Conotoxins are biologically and chemically diverse. With 12–19 residues and two disulfides, they can be specifically selected for different nAChRs. Acetylcholine-binding proteins from Aplysia californica (Ac-AChBP) are homologous to the ligand-binding domains of nAChRs and pharmacologically similar. X-ray structures of the α-conotoxin in complex with Ac-AChBP in addition to computer modeling have helped to determine the binding site of the important residues of α-conotoxin and its affinity for nAChR subtypes. Here, we present the various α-conotoxin residues that are selective for Ac-AChBP or nAChRs by comparing the structures of α-conotoxins in complex with Ac-AChBP and by modeling α-conotoxins in complex with nAChRs. The knowledge of these binding sites will assist in the discovery and design of more potent and selective α-conotoxins as drug leads.
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123
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Kintzing JR, Cochran JR. Engineered knottin peptides as diagnostics, therapeutics, and drug delivery vehicles. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2016; 34:143-150. [PMID: 27642714 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitor cystine-knots, also known as knottins, are a structural family of ultra-stable peptides with diverse functions. Knottins and related backbone-cyclized peptides called cyclotides contain three disulfide bonds connected in a particular arrangement that endows these peptides with high thermal, proteolytic, and chemical stability. Knottins have gained interest as candidates for non-invasive molecular imaging and for drug development as they can possess the pharmacological properties of small molecules and the target affinity and selectively of protein biologics. Naturally occurring knottins are clinically approved for treating chronic pain and GI disorders. Combinatorial methods are being used to engineer knottins that can bind to other clinically relevant targets in cancer, and inflammatory and cardiac disease. This review details recent examples of engineered knottin peptides; their use as molecular imaging agents, therapeutics, and drug delivery vehicles; modifications that can be introduced to improve peptide folding and bioactivity; and future perspectives and challenges in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Kintzing
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, United States
| | - Jennifer R Cochran
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, United States; Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, United States.
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124
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Mohammed Y, Teixidó M, Namjoshi S, Giralt E, Benson H. Cyclic Dipeptide Shuttles as a Novel Skin Penetration Enhancement Approach: Preliminary Evaluation with Diclofenac. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160973. [PMID: 27548780 PMCID: PMC4993479 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a peptide shuttle in delivering diclofenac into and through human epidermis. Diclofenac was conjugated to a novel phenylalanyl-N-methyl-naphthalenylalanine-derived diketopiperazine (DKP) shuttle and to TAT (a classical cell penetrating peptide), and topically applied to human epidermis in vitro. DKP and TAT effectively permeated into and through human epidermis. When conjugated to diclofenac, both DKP and TAT enhanced delivery into and through human epidermis, though DKP was significantly more effective. Penetration of diclofenac through human epidermis (to receptor) was increased by conjugation to the peptide shuttle and cell penetrating peptide with enhancement of 6x by DKP-diclofenac and 3x by TAT-diclofenac. In addition, the amount of diclofenac retained within the epidermis was significantly increased by peptide conjugation. COX-2 inhibition activity of diclofenac was retained when conjugated to DKP. Our study suggests that the peptide shuttle approach may offer a new strategy for targeted delivery of small therapeutic and diagnostic molecules to the skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yousuf Mohammed
- School of Pharmacy, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Therapeutics Research Centre, The University of Queensland, School of Medicine, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Meritxell Teixidó
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona Science and Technology Institute (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sarika Namjoshi
- Therapeutics Research Centre, The University of Queensland, School of Medicine, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ernest Giralt
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona Science and Technology Institute (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail: (HB); (EG)
| | - Heather Benson
- School of Pharmacy, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- * E-mail: (HB); (EG)
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125
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Kwon S, Bosmans F, Kaas Q, Cheneval O, Conibear AC, Rosengren KJ, Wang CK, Schroeder CI, Craik DJ. Efficient enzymatic cyclization of an inhibitory cystine knot-containing peptide. Biotechnol Bioeng 2016; 113:2202-12. [PMID: 27093300 DOI: 10.1002/bit.25993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Revised: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Disulfide-rich peptides isolated from cone snails are of great interest as drug leads due to their high specificity and potency toward therapeutically relevant ion channels and receptors. They commonly contain the inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) motif comprising three disulfide bonds forming a knotted core. Here we report the successful enzymatic backbone cyclization of an ICK-containing peptide κ-PVIIA, a 27-amino acid conopeptide from Conus purpurascens, using a mutated version of the bacterial transpeptidase, sortase A. Although a slight loss of activity was observed compared to native κ-PVIIA, cyclic κ-PVIIA is a functional peptide that inhibits the Shaker voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channel. Molecular modeling suggests that the decrease in potency may be related to the loss of crucial, but previously unidentified electrostatic interactions between the N-terminus of the peptide and the Shaker channel. This hypothesis was confirmed by testing an N-terminally acetylated κ-PVIIA, which shows a similar decrease in activity. We also investigated the conformational dynamics and hydrogen bond network of cyc-PVIIA, both of which are important factors to be considered for successful cyclization of peptides. We found that cyc-PVIIA has the same conformational dynamics, but different hydrogen bond network compared to those of κ-PVIIA. The ability to efficiently cyclize ICK peptides using sortase A will enable future protein engineering for this class of peptides and may help in the development of novel therapeutic molecules. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 2202-2212. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soohyun Kwon
- The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - Frank Bosmans
- Department of Physiology and Solomon H Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Quentin Kaas
- The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - Olivier Cheneval
- The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - Anne C Conibear
- The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - K Johan Rosengren
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | - Conan K Wang
- The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - Christina I Schroeder
- The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia.
| | - David J Craik
- The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia.
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126
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Wu X, Huang Y, Kaas Q, Craik DJ. Cyclisation of Disulfide‐Rich Conotoxins in Drug Design Applications. European J Org Chem 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.201600402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaosa Wu
- Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of Queensland306 Carmody Road (Building 80)4072BrisbaneAustralia
| | - Yen‐Hua Huang
- Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of Queensland306 Carmody Road (Building 80)4072BrisbaneAustralia
| | - Quentin Kaas
- Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of Queensland306 Carmody Road (Building 80)4072BrisbaneAustralia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of Queensland306 Carmody Road (Building 80)4072BrisbaneAustralia
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127
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Peraro L, Siegert TR, Kritzer JA. Conformational Restriction of Peptides Using Dithiol Bis-Alkylation. Methods Enzymol 2016; 580:303-32. [PMID: 27586339 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2016.05.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Macrocyclic peptides are highly promising as inhibitors of protein-protein interactions. While many bond-forming reactions can be used to make cyclic peptides, most have limitations that make this chemical space challenging to access. Recently, a variety of cysteine alkylation reactions have been used in rational design and library approaches for cyclic peptide discovery and development. We and others have found that this chemistry is versatile and robust enough to produce a large variety of conformationally constrained cyclic peptides. In this chapter, we describe applications, methods, mechanistic insights, and troubleshooting for dithiol bis-alkylation reactions for the production of cyclic peptides. This method for efficient solution-phase macrocyclization is highly useful for the rapid production and screening of loop-based inhibitors of protein-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Peraro
- Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
| | - T R Siegert
- Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
| | - J A Kritzer
- Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States.
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128
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Rasche N, Tonillo J, Rieker M, Becker S, Dorr B, Ter-Ovanesyan D, Betz UAK, Hock B, Kolmar H. PROLink-Single Step Circularization and Purification Procedure for the Generation of an Improved Variant of Human Growth Hormone. Bioconjug Chem 2016; 27:1341-7. [PMID: 27108993 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.6b00137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Human growth hormone (hGH) plays an important role during human development and is also an approved therapeutic for the treatment of several diseases. However, one major drawback of hGH is its short circulating half-life requiring frequent administration, which is inconvenient and painful for the patients. Recent publications indicate that circularization greatly increases the stability of proteins due to their protection from exoproteolytic attack and a higher thermal stability of the circular form. Using sortase A, a transpeptidase isolated from Staphylococcus aureus, we developed a single step solid-phase circularization and purification procedure resulting in a circular version of hGH with improved properties. We could show that circular hGH binds to the recombinant hGH receptor with binding kinetics similar to those of linear hGH and that circularization does not alter the biological activity of hGH in vitro. Besides, circular hGH showed almost complete resistance toward exoproteolytic attack and slightly increased thermal stability which could possibly translate into an extended plasma half-life. The single step solid-phase circularization and purification procedure is in principle a generic process, which could also be applied for other proteins that meet the requirements for circularization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Rasche
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt , 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.,Merck KGaA , Frankfurterstrasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jason Tonillo
- Merck KGaA , Frankfurterstrasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Marcel Rieker
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt , 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.,Merck KGaA , Frankfurterstrasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Stefan Becker
- Merck KGaA , Frankfurterstrasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | - Dmitry Ter-Ovanesyan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University , Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Ulrich A K Betz
- Merck KGaA , Frankfurterstrasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Björn Hock
- Merck KGaA , Frankfurterstrasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Harald Kolmar
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt , 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
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129
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Clark RJ, Preza GC, Tan CC, van Dijk JWA, Fung E, Nemeth E, Ganz T, Craik DJ. Design, synthesis, and characterization of cyclic analogues of the iron regulatory peptide hormone hepcidin. Biopolymers 2016; 100:519-26. [PMID: 23897622 DOI: 10.1002/bip.22350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2013] [Revised: 05/10/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The peptide hormone hepcidin is a key regulator of iron homeostasis in vertebrates. Hepcidin acts by binding to ferroportin, the sole known iron exporter, causing it to be internalized and thus trapping iron within the cell. Dysregulation of hepcidin concentrations is associated with a range of iron-related diseases and hepcidin-based therapeutics could be developed as candidate treatments for these diseases. However peptide-based drugs, despite their many advantages, are often limited by their susceptibility to degradation within the body. Here we describe the design, synthesis and characterization of a series of backbone cyclized hepcidin analogues as an approach to produce stable hepcidin-based leads. The cyclic peptides were shown by NMR to be structurally analogous to native hepcidin. Comparison of the stability of hepcidin with one of the cyclic analogues in human serum revealed that 77% of the cyclic peptide but only 18% of linear hepcidin remained after 24 h. The cyclic peptides were tested for their ability to induce internalization of GFP-ferroportin in vitro but were all found to be inactive. This study demonstrates that backbone cyclization of disulfide-rich peptides is a suitable approach for increasing stability. However, careful consideration of a number of factors, including location of important residues and their bioactive conformation, is required to generate biologically active lead molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Clark
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane QLD, 4072, Australia
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Verdes A, Anand P, Gorson J, Jannetti S, Kelly P, Leffler A, Simpson D, Ramrattan G, Holford M. From Mollusks to Medicine: A Venomics Approach for the Discovery and Characterization of Therapeutics from Terebridae Peptide Toxins. Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:117. [PMID: 27104567 PMCID: PMC4848642 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8040117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal venoms comprise a diversity of peptide toxins that manipulate molecular targets such as ion channels and receptors, making venom peptides attractive candidates for the development of therapeutics to benefit human health. However, identifying bioactive venom peptides remains a significant challenge. In this review we describe our particular venomics strategy for the discovery, characterization, and optimization of Terebridae venom peptides, teretoxins. Our strategy reflects the scientific path from mollusks to medicine in an integrative sequential approach with the following steps: (1) delimitation of venomous Terebridae lineages through taxonomic and phylogenetic analyses; (2) identification and classification of putative teretoxins through omics methodologies, including genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics; (3) chemical and recombinant synthesis of promising peptide toxins; (4) structural characterization through experimental and computational methods; (5) determination of teretoxin bioactivity and molecular function through biological assays and computational modeling; (6) optimization of peptide toxin affinity and selectivity to molecular target; and (7) development of strategies for effective delivery of venom peptide therapeutics. While our research focuses on terebrids, the venomics approach outlined here can be applied to the discovery and characterization of peptide toxins from any venomous taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Verdes
- Hunter College, The City University of New York, Belfer Research Building, 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
- The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA.
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West & 79th St, New York, NY 10024, USA.
| | - Prachi Anand
- Hunter College, The City University of New York, Belfer Research Building, 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | - Juliette Gorson
- Hunter College, The City University of New York, Belfer Research Building, 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
- The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA.
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West & 79th St, New York, NY 10024, USA.
| | - Stephen Jannetti
- Hunter College, The City University of New York, Belfer Research Building, 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
- The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Patrick Kelly
- Hunter College, The City University of New York, Belfer Research Building, 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
- The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Abba Leffler
- Hunter College, The City University of New York, Belfer Research Building, 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
- Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, New York University School of Medicine 550 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Danny Simpson
- Hunter College, The City University of New York, Belfer Research Building, 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
- Tandon School of Engineering, New York University 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA.
| | - Girish Ramrattan
- Hunter College, The City University of New York, Belfer Research Building, 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | - Mandë Holford
- Hunter College, The City University of New York, Belfer Research Building, 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
- The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA.
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West & 79th St, New York, NY 10024, USA.
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131
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Gori A, Peri C, Quilici G, Nithichanon A, Gaudesi D, Longhi R, Gourlay L, Bolognesi M, Lertmemongkolchai G, Musco G, Colombo G. Flexible vs Rigid Epitope Conformations for Diagnostic- and Vaccine-Oriented Applications: Novel Insights from the Burkholderia pseudomallei BPSL2765 Pal3 Epitope. ACS Infect Dis 2016; 2:221-30. [PMID: 27623032 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.5b00118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Peptides seldom retain stable conformations if separated from their native protein structure. In an immunological context, this potentially affects the development of selective peptide-based bioprobes and, from a vaccine perspective, poses inherent limits in the elicitation of cross-reactive antibodies by candidate epitopes. Here, a 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole-mediated stapling strategy was used to stabilize the native α-helical fold of the Pal3 peptidic epitope from the protein antigen PalBp (BPSL2765) from Burkholderia pseudomallei, the etiological agent of melioidosis. Whereas Pal3 shows no propensity to fold outside its native protein context, the engineered peptide (Pal3H) forms a stable α-helix, as assessed by MD, NMR, and CD structural analyses. Importantly, Pal3H shows an enhanced ability to discriminate between melioidosis patient subclasses in immune sera reactivity tests, demonstrating the potential of the stapled peptide for diagnostic purposes. With regard to antibody elicitation and related bactericidal activities, the linear peptide is shown to elicit a higher response. On these bases, we critically discuss the implications of epitope structure engineering for diagnostic- and vaccine-oriented applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Gori
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare,
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Mario Bianco, 9, 20131, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudio Peri
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare,
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Mario Bianco, 9, 20131, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomo Quilici
- Biomolecular NMR Laboratory,
Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, S. Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Arnone Nithichanon
- Center for Research and Development of
Medical Diagnostic Laboratories (CMDL), Faculty of Associated Medical
Sciences, Khon Kaen University, 40002, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Davide Gaudesi
- Biomolecular NMR Laboratory,
Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, S. Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Renato Longhi
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare,
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Mario Bianco, 9, 20131, Milan, Italy
| | - Louise Gourlay
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Martino Bolognesi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
- CNR-IBF and Cimaina,
c/o Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Ganjana Lertmemongkolchai
- Center for Research and Development of
Medical Diagnostic Laboratories (CMDL), Faculty of Associated Medical
Sciences, Khon Kaen University, 40002, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Giovanna Musco
- Biomolecular NMR Laboratory,
Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, S. Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Colombo
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare,
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Mario Bianco, 9, 20131, Milan, Italy
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132
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Carstens BB, Berecki G, Daniel JT, Lee HS, Jackson KAV, Tae H, Sadeghi M, Castro J, O'Donnell T, Deiteren A, Brierley SM, Craik DJ, Adams DJ, Clark RJ. Structure–Activity Studies of Cysteine‐Rich α‐Conotoxins that Inhibit High‐Voltage‐Activated Calcium Channels via GABA
B
Receptor Activation Reveal a Minimal Functional Motif. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201600297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bodil B. Carstens
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Géza Berecki
- Health Innovations Research Institute RMIT University Melbourne Vic 3083 Australia
| | - James T. Daniel
- School of Biomedical Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Han Siean Lee
- School of Biomedical Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Kathryn A. V. Jackson
- School of Biomedical Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Han‐Shen Tae
- Health Innovations Research Institute RMIT University Melbourne Vic 3083 Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI) University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW 2522 Australia
| | - Mahsa Sadeghi
- Health Innovations Research Institute RMIT University Melbourne Vic 3083 Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI) University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW 2522 Australia
| | - Joel Castro
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases Discipline of Medicine The University of Adelaide South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) Adelaide SA 5000 Australia
| | - Tracy O'Donnell
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases Discipline of Medicine The University of Adelaide South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) Adelaide SA 5000 Australia
| | - Annemie Deiteren
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases Discipline of Medicine The University of Adelaide South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) Adelaide SA 5000 Australia
| | - Stuart M. Brierley
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases Discipline of Medicine The University of Adelaide South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) Adelaide SA 5000 Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - David J. Adams
- Health Innovations Research Institute RMIT University Melbourne Vic 3083 Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI) University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW 2522 Australia
| | - Richard J. Clark
- School of Biomedical Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
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133
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Carstens BB, Berecki G, Daniel JT, Lee HS, Jackson KAV, Tae H, Sadeghi M, Castro J, O'Donnell T, Deiteren A, Brierley SM, Craik DJ, Adams DJ, Clark RJ. Structure–Activity Studies of Cysteine‐Rich α‐Conotoxins that Inhibit High‐Voltage‐Activated Calcium Channels via GABA
B
Receptor Activation Reveal a Minimal Functional Motif. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2016; 55:4692-6. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201600297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bodil B. Carstens
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Géza Berecki
- Health Innovations Research Institute RMIT University Melbourne Vic 3083 Australia
| | - James T. Daniel
- School of Biomedical Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Han Siean Lee
- School of Biomedical Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Kathryn A. V. Jackson
- School of Biomedical Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Han‐Shen Tae
- Health Innovations Research Institute RMIT University Melbourne Vic 3083 Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI) University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW 2522 Australia
| | - Mahsa Sadeghi
- Health Innovations Research Institute RMIT University Melbourne Vic 3083 Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI) University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW 2522 Australia
| | - Joel Castro
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases Discipline of Medicine The University of Adelaide South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) Adelaide SA 5000 Australia
| | - Tracy O'Donnell
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases Discipline of Medicine The University of Adelaide South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) Adelaide SA 5000 Australia
| | - Annemie Deiteren
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases Discipline of Medicine The University of Adelaide South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) Adelaide SA 5000 Australia
| | - Stuart M. Brierley
- Visceral Pain Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases Discipline of Medicine The University of Adelaide South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) Adelaide SA 5000 Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - David J. Adams
- Health Innovations Research Institute RMIT University Melbourne Vic 3083 Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI) University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW 2522 Australia
| | - Richard J. Clark
- School of Biomedical Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
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134
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Moon J, Gorson J, Wright ME, Yee L, Khawaja S, Shin HY, Karma Y, Musunri RL, Yun M, Holford M. Characterization and Recombinant Expression of Terebrid Venom Peptide from Terebra guttata. Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:toxins8030063. [PMID: 26950153 PMCID: PMC4810208 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8030063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Venom peptides found in terebrid snails expand the toolbox of active compounds that can be applied to investigate cellular physiology and can be further developed as future therapeutics. However, unlike other predatory organisms, such as snakes, terebrids produce very small quantities of venom, making it difficult to obtain sufficient amounts for biochemical characterization. Here, we describe the first recombinant expression and characterization of terebrid peptide, teretoxin Tgu6.1, from Terebra guttata. Tgu6.1 is a novel forty-four amino acid teretoxin peptide with a VI/VII cysteine framework (C-C-CC-C-C) similar to O, M and I conotoxin superfamilies. A ligation-independent cloning strategy with an ompT protease deficient strain of E. coli was employed to recombinantly produce Tgu6.1. Thioredoxin was introduced in the plasmid to combat disulfide folding and solubility issues. Specifically Histidine-6 tag and Ni-NTA affinity chromatography were applied as a purification method, and enterokinase was used as a specific cleavage protease to effectively produce high yields of folded Tgu6.1 without extra residues to the primary sequence. The recombinantly-expressed Tgu6.1 peptide was bioactive, displaying a paralytic effect when injected into a Nereis virens polychaete bioassay. The recombinant strategy described to express Tgu6.1 can be applied to produce high yields of other disulfide-rich peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Moon
- Hunter College, City University of New York, Belfer Research Center 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | - Juliette Gorson
- Hunter College, City University of New York, Belfer Research Center 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
- The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Mary Elizabeth Wright
- Hunter College, City University of New York, Belfer Research Center 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
- The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Laurel Yee
- Hunter College, City University of New York, Belfer Research Center 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | - Samer Khawaja
- Hunter College, City University of New York, Belfer Research Center 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | - Hye Young Shin
- Hunter College, City University of New York, Belfer Research Center 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | - Yasmine Karma
- Hunter College, City University of New York, Belfer Research Center 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | | | - Michelle Yun
- Hunter College, City University of New York, Belfer Research Center 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | - Mande Holford
- Hunter College, City University of New York, Belfer Research Center 413 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
- The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
- The American Museum of Natural History, 79th Street at Central Park West, New York, NY 10026, USA.
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135
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Wang CK, Stalmans S, De Spiegeleer B, Craik DJ. Biodistribution of the cyclotide MCoTI-II, a cyclic disulfide-rich peptide drug scaffold. J Pept Sci 2016; 22:305-10. [PMID: 26929247 DOI: 10.1002/psc.2862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Disulfide-rich macrocyclic peptides are promising templates for drug design because of their unique topology and remarkable stability. However, little is known about their pharmacokinetics. In this study, we characterize the biodistribution in mice of Momordica cochinchinensis trypsin inhibitor-II (MCoTI-II), a cyclic three-disulfide-containing peptide that has been used in a number of studies as a drug scaffold. The distribution of MCoTI-II was compared with that of chlorotoxin, which is a four-disulfide-containing peptide that has been used to develop brain tumor imaging agents; dermorphin, which is a disulfide-less peptide; and bovine serum albumin, a large protein. Both MCoTI-II and chlorotoxin distributed predominantly to the serum and kidneys, confirming that they are stable in serum and suggesting that they are eliminated from the blood through renal clearance. Although cell-penetrating peptides have been reported to be able to transport across the blood-brain barrier, MCoTI-II, which is a cell-penetrating peptide, showed no uptake into the brain. The uptake of chlorotoxin was higher than that of MCoTI-II but lower than that of dermorphin, which is considered to have low uptake into the brain. This study provides insight into the behavior of disulfide-rich peptides in vivo. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conan K Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Sofie Stalmans
- Drug Quality and Registration (DruQuaR) Group, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bart De Spiegeleer
- Drug Quality and Registration (DruQuaR) Group, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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136
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Inhibition of tau aggregation using a naturally-occurring cyclic peptide scaffold. Eur J Med Chem 2016; 109:342-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 01/06/2016] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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137
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Conibear AC, Chaousis S, Durek T, Johan Rosengren K, Craik DJ, Schroeder CI. Approaches to the stabilization of bioactive epitopes by grafting and peptide cyclization. Biopolymers 2016; 106:89-100. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.22767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anne C. Conibear
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Stephanie Chaousis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Thomas Durek
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - K. Johan Rosengren
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences; The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Christina I. Schroeder
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
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138
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Efficient backbone cyclization of linear peptides by a recombinant asparaginyl endopeptidase. Nat Commun 2015; 6:10199. [PMID: 26680698 PMCID: PMC4703859 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclotides are diverse plant backbone cyclized peptides that have attracted interest as pharmaceutical scaffolds, but fundamentals of their biosynthetic origin remain elusive. Backbone cyclization is a key enzyme-mediated step of cyclotide biosynthesis and confers a measure of stability on the resultant cyclotide. Furthermore, cyclization would be desirable for engineered peptides. Here we report the identification of four asparaginyl endopeptidases (AEPs), proteases implicated in cyclization, from the cyclotide-producing plant Oldenlandia affinis. We recombinantly express OaAEP1b and find it functions preferably as a cyclase by coupling C-terminal cleavage of propeptide substrates with backbone cyclization. Interestingly, OaAEP1b cannot cleave at the N-terminal site of O. affinis cyclotide precursors, implicating additional proteases in cyclotide biosynthesis. Finally, we demonstrate the broad utility of this enzyme by cyclization of peptides unrelated to cyclotides. We propose that recombinant OaAEP1b is a powerful tool for use in peptide engineering applications where increased stability of peptide products is desired. Cyclotides are plant backbone-cyclised peptides with potential as pharmaceutical scaffolds. Here the authors report on the efficient backbone cyclization of cyclotides and unrelated peptides by a newly identified asparaginyl endopeptidase from Oldenlandia affinis.
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139
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Wang CK, Swedberg JE, Northfield SE, Craik DJ. Effects of Cyclization on Peptide Backbone Dynamics. J Phys Chem B 2015; 119:15821-30. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b11085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Conan K. Wang
- 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
| | - Susan E. Northfield
- 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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140
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Zheng Y, Zhai L, Zhao Y, Wu C. Orthogonal Cysteine–Penicillamine Disulfide Pairing for Directing the Oxidative Folding of Peptides. J Am Chem Soc 2015; 137:15094-7. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b10779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yiwu Zheng
- The MOE Key Laboratory of
Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory
of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry,
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Linxiang Zhai
- The MOE Key Laboratory of
Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory
of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry,
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Yibing Zhao
- The MOE Key Laboratory of
Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory
of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry,
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Chuanliu Wu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of
Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, State Key Laboratory
of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry,
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
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141
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Akcan M, Clark RJ, Daly NL, Conibear AC, de Faoite A, Heghinian MD, Sahil T, Adams DJ, Marí F, Craik DJ. Transforming conotoxins into cyclotides: Backbone cyclization of P-superfamily conotoxins. Biopolymers 2015; 104:682-92. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.22699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Muharrem Akcan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience; The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Richard J. Clark
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience; The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Norelle L. Daly
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience; The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Anne C. Conibear
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience; The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Andrew de Faoite
- Health Innovations Research Institute; RMIT University; Bundoora VIC 3083 Australia
| | - Mari D. Heghinian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Florida Atlantic University; FL 33431 USA
| | - Talwar Sahil
- Queensland Brain Institute; The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - David J. Adams
- Health Innovations Research Institute; RMIT University; Bundoora VIC 3083 Australia
| | - Frank Marí
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Florida Atlantic University; FL 33431 USA
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience; The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
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142
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Cyclic alpha-conotoxin peptidomimetic chimeras as potent GLP-1R agonists. Eur J Med Chem 2015; 103:175-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2015.08.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Revised: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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143
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Mohammadi SA, Christie MJ. Conotoxin Interactions with α9α10-nAChRs: Is the α9α10-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor an Important Therapeutic Target for Pain Management? Toxins (Basel) 2015; 7:3916-32. [PMID: 26426047 PMCID: PMC4626711 DOI: 10.3390/toxins7103916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The α9α10-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) has been implicated in pain and has been proposed to be a novel target for analgesics. However, the evidence to support the involvement of the α9α10-nAChR in pain is conflicted. This receptor was first implicated in pain with the characterisation of conotoxin Vc1.1, which is highly selective for α9α10-nAChRs and is an efficacious analgesic in chronic pain models with restorative capacities and no reported side effects. Numerous other analgesic conotoxin and non-conotoxin molecules have been subsequently characterised that also inhibit α9α10-nAChRs. However, there is evidence that α9α10-nAChR inhibition is neither necessary nor sufficient for analgesia. α9α10-nAChR-inhibiting analogues of Vc1.1 have no analgesic effects. Genetically-modified α9-nAChR knockout mice have a phenotype that is markedly different from the analgesic profile of Vc1.1 and similar conotoxins, suggesting that the conotoxin effects are largely independent of α9α10-nAChRs. Furthermore, an alternative mechanism of analgesia by Vc1.1 and other similar conotoxins involving non-canonical coupling of GABAB receptors to voltage-gated calcium channels is known. Additional incongruities regarding α9α10-nAChRs in analgesia are discussed. A more comprehensive characterisation of the role of α9α10-nAChRs in pain is crucial for understanding the analgesic action of conotoxins and for improved drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarasa A Mohammadi
- Discipline of Pharmacology, the University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - MacDonald J Christie
- Discipline of Pharmacology, the University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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144
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Yu R, Seymour VAL, Berecki G, Jia X, Akcan M, Adams DJ, Kaas Q, Craik DJ. Less is More: Design of a Highly Stable Disulfide-Deleted Mutant of Analgesic Cyclic α-Conotoxin Vc1.1. Sci Rep 2015; 5:13264. [PMID: 26290113 PMCID: PMC4542547 DOI: 10.1038/srep13264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic α-conotoxin Vc1.1 (cVc1.1) is an orally active peptide with analgesic activity in rat models of neuropathic pain. It has two disulfide bonds, which can have three different connectivities, one of which is the native and active form. In this study we used computational modeling and nuclear magnetic resonance to design a disulfide-deleted mutant of cVc1.1, [C2H,C8F]cVc1.1, which has a larger hydrophobic core than cVc1.1 and, potentially, additional surface salt bridge interactions. The new variant, hcVc1.1, has similar structure and serum stability to cVc1.1 and is highly stable at a wide range of pH and temperatures. Remarkably, hcVc1.1 also has similar selectivity to cVc1.1, as it inhibited recombinant human α9α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-mediated currents with an IC50 of 13 μM and rat N-type (Cav2.2) and recombinant human Cav2.3 calcium channels via GABAB receptor activation, with an IC50 of ~900 pM. Compared to cVc1.1, the potency of hcVc1.1 is reduced three-fold at both analgesic targets, whereas previous attempts to replace Vc1.1 disulfide bonds by non-reducible dicarba linkages resulted in at least 30-fold decreased activity. Because it has only one disulfide bond, hcVc1.1 is not subject to disulfide bond shuffling and does not form multiple isomers during peptide synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rilei Yu
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Victoria A L Seymour
- Health Innovations Research Institute, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Géza Berecki
- Health Innovations Research Institute, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Xinying Jia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Muharrem Akcan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - David J Adams
- Health Innovations Research Institute, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Quentin Kaas
- 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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145
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Anand P, O’Neil A, Lin E, Douglas T, Holford M. Tailored delivery of analgesic ziconotide across a blood brain barrier model using viral nanocontainers. Sci Rep 2015; 5:12497. [PMID: 26234920 PMCID: PMC4522602 DOI: 10.1038/srep12497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/11/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The blood brain barrier (BBB) is often an insurmountable obstacle for a large number of candidate drugs, including peptides, antibiotics, and chemotherapeutic agents. Devising an adroit delivery method to cross the BBB is essential to unlocking widespread application of peptide therapeutics. Presented here is an engineered nanocontainer for delivering peptidic drugs across the BBB encapsulating the analgesic marine snail peptide ziconotide (Prialt®). We developed a bi-functional viral nanocontainer based on the Salmonella typhimurium bacteriophage P22 capsid, genetically incorporating ziconotide in the interior cavity, and chemically attaching cell penetrating HIV-Tat peptide on the exterior of the capsid. Virus like particles (VLPs) of P22 containing ziconotide were successfully transported in several BBB models of rat and human brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMVEC) using a recyclable noncytotoxic endocytic pathway. This work demonstrates proof in principle for developing a possible alternative to intrathecal injection of ziconotide using a tunable VLP drug delivery nanocontainer to cross the BBB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prachi Anand
- Hunter College-CUNY, Belfer Research Building, 413 E, 69th Street, New York, NY-10021 (USA)
- The American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West 79th Street, New York, NY-10024 (USA)
| | - Alison O’Neil
- Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN-47405 (USA)
| | - Emily Lin
- Hunter College-CUNY, Belfer Research Building, 413 E, 69th Street, New York, NY-10021 (USA)
| | - Trevor Douglas
- Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN-47405 (USA)
| | - Mandë Holford
- Hunter College-CUNY, Belfer Research Building, 413 E, 69th Street, New York, NY-10021 (USA)
- The American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West 79th Street, New York, NY-10024 (USA)
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146
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Zhan C, Li C, Wei X, Lu W, Lu W. Toxins and derivatives in molecular pharmaceutics: Drug delivery and targeted therapy. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2015; 90:101-18. [PMID: 25959429 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2015.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Revised: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Protein and peptide toxins offer an invaluable source for the development of actively targeted drug delivery systems. They avidly bind to a variety of cognate receptors, some of which are expressed or even up-regulated in diseased tissues and biological barriers. Protein and peptide toxins or their derivatives can act as ligands to facilitate tissue- or organ-specific accumulation of therapeutics. Some toxins have evolved from a relatively small number of structural frameworks that are particularly suitable for addressing the crucial issues of potency and stability, making them an instrumental source of leads and templates for targeted therapy. The focus of this review is on protein and peptide toxins for the development of targeted drug delivery systems and molecular therapies. We summarize disease- and biological barrier-related toxin receptors, as well as targeted drug delivery strategies inspired by those receptors. The design of new therapeutics based on protein and peptide toxins is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changyou Zhan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University & Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Chong Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University & Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Pharmaceutical Process and Quality Control, Chongqing 400716, PR China
| | - Xiaoli Wei
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University & Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201203, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China
| | - Wuyuan Lu
- Institute of Human Virology and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Weiyue Lu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University & Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201203, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China.
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147
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Chlorotoxin is a small scorpion peptide that inhibits glioma cell migration. We investigated the importance of a major component of chlorotoxin's chemical structure - four disulfide bonds - to its tertiary structure and biological function. RESULTS Five disulfide bond analogs of chlorotoxin were synthesized, with l-α-aminobutyric acid residues replacing each or all of the disulfide bonds. Chemical oxidation and circular dichroism experiments revealed that Cys III-VII and Cys V-VIII were essential for native structure formation. Cys I-IV and Cys II-VI were important for stability of enzymatic proteolysis but not for the inhibition of human umbilical vein endothelial cell migration. CONCLUSION The disulfide bonds of chlorotoxin are important for its structure and stability and have a minor role in its activity against cell migration.
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148
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Conotoxins are a large family of bioactive peptides derived from cone snail venom. They target specific classes of ion channels and other membrane proteins and may have therapeutic value, primarily in the management of pain. AREAS COVERED The authors surveyed the US patent literature covering conotoxins, and their potential therapeutic applications. They describe the various subclasses of conotoxins that are the subject of current patent applications and their therapeutic indications. Limitations that may preclude broader application of these molecules are discussed and strategies for overcoming these limitations are presented. EXPERT OPINION Despite more than 25 years of intense global conotoxin research, only one molecule has successfully reached the market. Several other conotoxin-derived candidates failed in clinical trials, indicating that 'from the bench into the clinic' translation has been more difficult than originally anticipated. Nevertheless, we are optimistic that the potent activities of these molecules and the potential for improving their biopharmaceutical properties may lead to next-generation drug candidates with favorable pharmacological properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Durek
- a The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience , Brisbane 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- a The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience , Brisbane 4072, QLD, Australia
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149
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Rational design and synthesis of an orally bioavailable peptide guided by NMR amide temperature coefficients. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 111:17504-9. [PMID: 25416591 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1417611111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhancing the oral bioavailability of peptide drug leads is a major challenge in drug design. As such, methods to address this challenge are highly sought after by the pharmaceutical industry. Here, we propose a strategy to identify appropriate amides for N-methylation using temperature coefficients measured by NMR to identify exposed amides in cyclic peptides. N-methylation effectively caps these amides, modifying the overall solvation properties of the peptides and making them more membrane permeable. The approach for identifying sites for N-methylation is a rapid alternative to the elucidation of 3D structures of peptide drug leads, which has been a commonly used structure-guided approach in the past. Five leucine-rich peptide scaffolds are reported with selectively designed N-methylated derivatives. In vitro membrane permeability was assessed by parallel artificial membrane permeability assay and Caco-2 assay. The most promising N-methylated peptide was then tested in vivo. Here we report a novel peptide (15), which displayed an oral bioavailability of 33% in a rat model, thus validating the design approach. We show that this approach can also be used to explain the notable increase in oral bioavailability of a somatostatin analog.
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150
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Wang CK, Northfield SE, Swedberg JE, Colless B, Chaousis S, Price DA, Liras S, Craik DJ. Exploring experimental and computational markers of cyclic peptides: Charting islands of permeability. Eur J Med Chem 2015; 97:202-13. [PMID: 25974856 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2015.04.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Revised: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
An increasing number of macrocyclic peptides that cross biological membranes are being reported, suggesting that it might be possible to develop peptides into orally bioavailable therapeutics; however, current understanding of what makes macrocyclic peptides cell permeable is still limited. Here, we synthesized 62 cyclic hexapeptides and characterized their permeability using in vitro assays commonly used to predict in vivo absorption rates, i.e. the Caco-2 and PAMPA assays. We correlated permeability with experimentally measured parameters of peptide conformation obtained using rapid methods based on chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Based on these correlations, we propose a model describing the interplay between peptide permeability, lipophilicity and hydrogen bonding potential. Specifically, peptides with very high permeability have high lipophilicity and few solvent hydrogen bond interactions, whereas peptides with very low permeability have low lipophilicity or many solvent interactions. Our model is supported by molecular dynamics simulations of the cyclic peptides calculated in explicit solvent, providing a structural basis for the observed correlations. This prospective exploration into biomarkers of peptide permeability has the potential to unlock wider opportunities for development of peptides into drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conan K Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Susan E Northfield
- 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
| | - Barbara Colless
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Stephanie Chaousis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - David A Price
- Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry, CVMED, Pfizer, 610 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Spiros Liras
- Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry, CVMED, Pfizer, 610 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
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