1
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Li M, Li J, Lu X, Schroder R, Chandramohan A, Wuelfing WP, Templeton AC, Xu W, Gindy M, Kesisoglou F, Ling J, Sawyer T, Verma CS, Partridge AW, Su Y. Molecular Mechanism of P53 Peptide Permeation through Lipid Membranes from Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy and Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:23075-23091. [PMID: 39110018 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c04230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
Macrocyclic peptides show promise in targeting high-value therapeutically relevant binding sites due to their high affinity and specificity. However, their clinical application is often hindered by low membrane permeability, which limits their effectiveness against intracellular targets. Previous studies focused on peptide conformations in various solvents, leaving a gap in understanding their interactions with and translocation through lipid bilayers. Addressing this, our study explores the membrane interactions of stapled peptides, a subclass of macrocyclic peptides, using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We conducted ssNMR measurements on ATSP-7041M, a prototypical stapled peptide, to understand its interaction with lipid membranes, leading to an MD-informed model for peptide membrane permeation. Our findings reveal that ATSP-7041M adopts a stable α-helical structure upon membrane binding, facilitated by a cation-π interaction between its phenylalanine side chain and the lipid headgroup. This interaction makes the membrane-bound state energetically favorable, facilitating membrane affinity and insertion. The bound peptide displayed asymmetric insertion depths, with the C-terminus penetrating deeper (approximately 9 Å) than the N-terminus (approximately 4.3 Å) relative to the lipid headgroups. Contrary to expectations, peptide dynamics was not hindered by membrane binding and exhibited rapid motions similar to cell-penetrating peptides. These dynamic interactions and peptide-lipid affinity appear to be crucial for membrane permeation. MD simulations indicated a thermodynamically stable transmembrane conformation of ATSP-7041M, reducing the energy barrier for translocation. Our study offers an in silico view of ATSP-7041M's translocation from the extracellular to the intracellular region, highlighting the significance of peptide-lipid interactions and dynamics in enabling peptide transit through membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyue Li
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Jianguo Li
- Bioinformatics Institute at A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore 138671, Singapore
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, 20 College Road Discovery Tower, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | - Xingyu Lu
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
- Instrumentation and Service Center for Molecular Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Ryan Schroder
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | | | - W Peter Wuelfing
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Allen C Templeton
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Wei Xu
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Marian Gindy
- Small Molecule Science and Technology, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Filippos Kesisoglou
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Jing Ling
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Tomi Sawyer
- Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Chandra S Verma
- Bioinformatics Institute at A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore 138671, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | | | - Yongchao Su
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
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2
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Batistatou N, Kritzer JA. Recent advances in methods for quantifying the cell penetration of macromolecules. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2024; 81:102501. [PMID: 39024686 PMCID: PMC11323051 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.102501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
As the landscape of macromolecule therapeutics advances, drug developers are continuing to aim at intracellular targets. To activate, inhibit, or degrade these targets, the macromolecule must be delivered efficiently to intracellular compartments. Quite often, there is a discrepancy between binding affinity in biochemical assays and activity in cell-based assays. Identifying the bottleneck for cell-based activity requires robust assays that quantify total cellular uptake and/or cytosolic delivery. Recognizing this need, chemical biologists have designed a plethora of assays to make this measurement, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages. In this review, we describe the latest and most promising developments in the last 3 to 4 years.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joshua A Kritzer
- Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford MA 02155, USA.
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3
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Su RL, Cao XW, Zhao J, Wang FJ. A high hydrophobic moment arginine-rich peptide screened by a machine learning algorithm enhanced ADC antitumor activity. J Pept Sci 2024:e3628. [PMID: 38950972 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) with better biomolecule delivery properties will expand their clinical applications. Using the MLCPP2.0 machine algorithm, we screened multiple candidate sequences with potential cellular uptake ability from the nuclear localization signal/nuclear export signal database and verified them through cell-penetrating fluorescent tracing experiments. A peptide (NCR) derived from the Rev protein of the caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus exhibited efficient cell-penetrating activity, delivering over four times more EGFP than the classical CPP TAT, allowing it to accumulate in lysosomes. Structural and property analysis revealed that a high hydrophobic moment and an appropriate hydrophobic region contribute to the high delivery activity of NCR. Trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), a HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate, could improve its anti-tumor activity by enhancing targeted delivery efficiency and increasing lysosomal drug delivery. This study designed a new NCR vector to non-covalently bind T-DM1 by fusing domain Z, which can specifically bind to the Fc region of immunoglobulin G and effectively deliver T-DM1 to lysosomes. MTT results showed that the domain Z-NCR vector significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of T-DM1 against HER2-positive tumor cells while maintaining drug specificity. Our results make a useful attempt to explore the potential application of CPP as a lysosome-targeted delivery tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruo-Long Su
- Department of Applied Biology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue-Wei Cao
- Department of Applied Biology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- ECUST-FONOW Joint Research Center for Innovative Medicines, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Zhao
- Department of Applied Biology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- ECUST-FONOW Joint Research Center for Innovative Medicines, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Fu-Jun Wang
- ECUST-FONOW Joint Research Center for Innovative Medicines, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- New Drug R&D Center, Zhejiang Fonow Medicine Co., Ltd., Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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4
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Malikidogo KP, Charnay T, Ndiaye D, Choi JH, Bridou L, Chartier B, Erbek S, Micouin G, Banyasz A, Maury O, Martel-Frachet V, Grichine A, Sénèque O. Efficient cytosolic delivery of luminescent lanthanide bioprobes in live cells for two-photon microscopy. Chem Sci 2024; 15:9694-9702. [PMID: 38939128 PMCID: PMC11206396 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc00896k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Lanthanide(iii) (Ln3+) complexes have desirable photophysical properties for optical bioimaging. However, despite their advantages over organic dyes, their use for microscopy imaging is limited by the high-energy UV excitation they require and their poor ability to cross the cell membrane and reach the cytosol. Here we describe a novel family of lanthanide-based luminescent probes, termed dTAT[Ln·L], based on (i) a DOTA-like chelator with a picolinate moiety, (ii) a two-photon absorbing antenna to shift the excitation to the near infrared and (ii) a dimeric TAT cell-penetrating peptide for cytosolic delivery. Several Tb3+ and Eu3+ probes were prepared and characterized. Two-photon microscopy of live cells was attempted using a commercial microscope with the three probes showing the highest quantum yields (>0.15). A diffuse Ln3+ emission was detected in most cells, which is characteristic of cytosolic delivery of the Ln3+ complex. The cytotoxicity of these three probes was evaluated and the IC50 ranged from 7 μM to >50 μM. The addition of a single positive or negative charge to the antenna of the most cytotoxic compound was sufficient to lower significantly or suppress its toxicity under the conditions used for two-photon microscopy. Therefore, the design reported here provides excellent lanthanide-based probes for two-photon microscopy of living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyangwi P Malikidogo
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IRIG, LCBM (UMR 5249) F-38000 Grenoble France
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, DCM (UMR 5250) F-38000 Grenoble France
| | - Thibault Charnay
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IRIG, LCBM (UMR 5249) F-38000 Grenoble France
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, DCM (UMR 5250) F-38000 Grenoble France
| | - Daouda Ndiaye
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IRIG, LCBM (UMR 5249) F-38000 Grenoble France
| | - Ji-Hyung Choi
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IRIG, LCBM (UMR 5249) F-38000 Grenoble France
| | - Lucile Bridou
- Univ. Lyon, ENS de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5182, Laboratoire de Chimie Lyon F-69342 France
| | - Baptiste Chartier
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IRIG, LCBM (UMR 5249) F-38000 Grenoble France
| | - Sule Erbek
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences F-38000 Grenoble France
- EPHE, PSL Research University 4-14 rue Ferrus 75014 Paris France
| | - Guillaume Micouin
- Univ. Lyon, ENS de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5182, Laboratoire de Chimie Lyon F-69342 France
| | - Akos Banyasz
- Univ. Lyon, ENS de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5182, Laboratoire de Chimie Lyon F-69342 France
| | - Olivier Maury
- Univ. Lyon, ENS de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5182, Laboratoire de Chimie Lyon F-69342 France
| | - Véronique Martel-Frachet
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences F-38000 Grenoble France
- EPHE, PSL Research University 4-14 rue Ferrus 75014 Paris France
| | - Alexei Grichine
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences F-38000 Grenoble France
| | - Olivier Sénèque
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IRIG, LCBM (UMR 5249) F-38000 Grenoble France
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5
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Batistatou N, Kritzer JA. Comparing Cell Penetration of Biotherapeutics across Human Cell Lines. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:1351-1365. [PMID: 38836425 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.4c00211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
A major obstacle in biotherapeutics development is maximizing cell penetration. Ideally, assays would allow for optimization of cell penetration in the cell type of interest early in the drug development process. However, few assays exist to compare cell penetration across different cell types independent of drug function. In this work, we applied the chloroalkane penetration assay (CAPA) in seven mammalian cell lines as well as primary cells. Careful controls were used to ensure that data could be compared across cell lines. We compared the nuclear penetration of several peptides and drug-like oligonucleotides and saw significant differences among the cell lines. To help explain these differences, we quantified the relative activities of endocytosis pathways in these cell lines and correlated them with the penetration data. Based on these results, we knocked down clathrin in a cell line with an efficient permeability profile and observed reduced penetration of peptides but not oligonucleotides. Finally, we used small-molecule endosomal escape enhancers and observed enhancement of cell penetration of some oligonucleotides, but only in some of the cell lines tested. CAPA data provide valuable points of comparison among different cell lines, including primary cells, for evaluating the cell penetration of various classes of peptides and oligonucleotides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nefeli Batistatou
- Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Joshua A Kritzer
- Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
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6
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Liu J, Heddleston J, Perkins DR, Chen JJH, Ghanbarpour A, Smith BW, Miles R, Aihara E, Afshar S. Discovery of a new class of cell-penetrating peptides by novel phage display platform. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13437. [PMID: 38862601 PMCID: PMC11167021 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64405-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The primary hurdles for small interference RNA (siRNA) in clinical use are targeted and cytosolic delivery. To overcome both challenges, we have established a novel platform based on phage display, called NNJA. In this approach, a lysosomal cathepsin substrate is engineered within the flexible loops of PIII, that is displaying a unique random sequence at its N-terminus. NNJA library selection targeting cell-expressed targets should yield specific peptides localized in the cytoplasm. That is because phage internalization and subsequent localization to lysosome, upon peptide binding to the cell expressed target, will result in cleavage of PIII, rendering phage non-infective. Such phage will be eliminated from the selected pool and only peptide-phage that escapes lysosomes will advance to the next round. Proof of concept studies with the NNJA library demonstrated cytosolic localization of selected peptide-phage and peptide-siRNA, confirmed through confocal microscopy. More importantly, conjugation of siHPRT to monomeric or multimeric NNJA peptides resulted in significant reduction in HPRT mRNA in various cell types without significant cytotoxicity. Sequence similarity and clustering analysis from NGS dataset provide insights into sequence composition facilitating cell penetration. NNJA platform offers a highly efficient peptide discovery engine for targeted delivery of oligonucleotides to cytosol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsha Liu
- Protein Engineering, Lilly Biotechnology Center, Eli Lilly and Company, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - John Heddleston
- Biotechnology Research, Lilly Corporate Center, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46221, USA
| | - Douglas Raymond Perkins
- Genetic Medicine, Lilly Corporate Center, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46221, USA
| | - Jack Jia Hua Chen
- Biotechnology Research, Lilly Corporate Center, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46221, USA
| | - Ahmadreza Ghanbarpour
- Protein Engineering, Lilly Biotechnology Center, Eli Lilly and Company, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Bill William Smith
- Protein Engineering, Lilly Biotechnology Center, Eli Lilly and Company, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Rebecca Miles
- Genetic Medicine, Lilly Corporate Center, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46221, USA
| | - Eitaro Aihara
- Biotechnology Research, Lilly Corporate Center, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46221, USA
| | - Sepideh Afshar
- Protein Engineering, Lilly Biotechnology Center, Eli Lilly and Company, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA.
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7
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Huang C, Liu YC, Oh H, Guo DS, Nau WM, Hennig A. Cellular Uptake of Cell-Penetrating Peptides Activated by Amphiphilic p-Sulfonatocalix[4]arenes. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202400174. [PMID: 38456376 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202400174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
We report the synthesis of a series of amphiphilic p-sulfonatocalix[4]arenes with varying alkyl chain lengths (CX4-Cn) and their application as efficient counterion activators for membrane transport of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). The enhanced membrane activity is confirmed with the carboxyfluorescein (CF) assay in vesicles and by the direct cytosolic delivery of CPPs into CHO-K1, HCT 116, and KTC-1 cells enabling excellent cellular uptake of the CPPs into two cancer cell lines. Intracellular delivery was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy after CPP entry into live cells mediated by CX4-Cn, which was also quantified after cell lysis by fluorescence spectroscopy. The results present the first systematic exploration of structure-activity relationships for calixarene-based counterion activators and show that CX4-Cn are exceptionally effective in cellular delivery of CPPs. The dodecyl derivative, CX4-C12, serves as best activator. A first mechanistic insight is provided by efficient CPP uptake at 4 °C and in the presence of the endocytosis inhibitor dynasore, which indicates a direct translocation of the CPP-counterion complexes into the cytosol and highlights the potential benefits of CX4-Cn for efficient and direct translocation of CPPs and CPP-conjugated cargo molecules into the cytosol of live cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chusen Huang
- School of Science, Constructor University, Campus Ring 1, 28759, Bremen, Germany
- The Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Resource Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Normal University, 100 Guilin Road, Shanghai, 200234, China
| | - Yan-Cen Liu
- School of Science, Constructor University, Campus Ring 1, 28759, Bremen, Germany
| | - Hyeyoung Oh
- School of Science, Constructor University, Campus Ring 1, 28759, Bremen, Germany
| | - Dong-Sheng Guo
- College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Werner M Nau
- School of Science, Constructor University, Campus Ring 1, 28759, Bremen, Germany
| | - Andreas Hennig
- School of Science, Constructor University, Campus Ring 1, 28759, Bremen, Germany
- Center for Cellular Nanoanalytics (CellNanOs) and Department of Biology and Chemistry, Universität Osnabrück, Barbarastraße 7, 49069, Osnabrück, Germany
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8
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He RN, Zhang MJ, Dai B, Kong XD. Selection of Peptide-Bismuth Bicycles Using Phage Display. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:1040-1044. [PMID: 38620022 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.4c00099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Cysteine conjugation is widely used to constrain phage displayed peptides for the selection of cyclic peptides against specific targets. In this study, the nontoxic Bi3+ ion was used as a cysteine conjugation reagent to cross-link peptide libraries without compromising phage infectivity. We constructed a randomized 3-cysteine peptide library and cyclized it with Bi3+, followed by a selection against the maltose-binding protein as a model target. Next-generation sequencing of selection samples revealed the enrichment of peptides containing clear consensus sequences. Chemically synthesized linear and Bi3+ cyclized peptides were used for affinity validation. The cyclized peptide showed a hundred-fold better affinity (0.31 ± 0.04 μM) than the linear form (39 ± 6 μM). Overall, our study proved the feasibility of developing Bi3+ constrained bicyclic peptides against a specific target using phage display, which would potentially accelerate the development of new peptide-bismuth bicycles for therapeutic or diagnostic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruo-Nan He
- School of Sensing Science and Engineering, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
- Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 429 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Meng-Jie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
- Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 429 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Bin Dai
- School of Sensing Science and Engineering, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xu-Dong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
- Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 429 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China
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9
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Li J, Zhang Y, Gu J, Zhou Y, Liu J, Cui H, Zhao T, Jin Z. Stress Granule Core Protein-Derived Peptides Inhibit Assembly of Stress Granules and Improve Sorafenib Sensitivity in Cancer Cells. Molecules 2024; 29:2134. [PMID: 38731625 PMCID: PMC11085366 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29092134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Upon a variety of environmental stresses, eukaryotic cells usually recruit translational stalled mRNAs and RNA-binding proteins to form cytoplasmic condensates known as stress granules (SGs), which minimize stress-induced damage and promote stress adaptation and cell survival. SGs are hijacked by cancer cells to promote cell survival and are consequently involved in the development of anticancer drug resistance. However, the design and application of chemical compounds targeting SGs to improve anticancer drug efficacy have rarely been studied. Here, we developed two types of SG inhibitory peptides (SIPs) derived from SG core proteins Caprin1 and USP10 and fused with cell-penetrating peptides to generate TAT-SIP-C1/2 and SIP-U1-Antp, respectively. We obtained 11 SG-inducing anticancer compounds from cell-based screens and explored the potential application of SIPs in overcoming resistance to the SG-inducing anticancer drug sorafenib. We found that SIPs increased the sensitivity of HeLa cells to sorafenib via the disruption of SGs. Therefore, anticancer drugs which are competent to induce SGs could be combined with SIPs to sensitize cancer cells, which might provide a novel therapeutic strategy to alleviate anticancer drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Li
- College of Life Sciences, Office of Student Entrepreneurship, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Yaobin Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Office of Student Entrepreneurship, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Jinxuan Gu
- College of Life Sciences, Office of Student Entrepreneurship, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Yulin Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Office of Student Entrepreneurship, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Jie Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Office of Student Entrepreneurship, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Haiyan Cui
- College of Life Sciences, Office of Student Entrepreneurship, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Tiejun Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Office of Student Entrepreneurship, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou 310015, China
| | - Zhigang Jin
- College of Life Sciences, Office of Student Entrepreneurship, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
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10
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Ghosh P. Boronic Acid-Linked Cell-Penetrating Peptide for Protein Delivery. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:19051-19056. [PMID: 38708278 PMCID: PMC11064025 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c09689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Studying functional protein delivery into live cells is important, ranging from fundamental research to therapeutics. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are known to deliver proteins with applauded efficacy and have gained importance for applications in protein therapeutics and exploration of versatile cellular mechanisms. The primary aim of the work is to design a CPP as a tool and delivery vehicle for macromolecules, including proteins. In this work, boronic acid-linked cyclic deca arginine (cR10) is reported as an efficient CPP that exhibited 3-fold higher delivery of chemically synthesized ubiquitin (Ub) than pristine cR10-linked Ub, examined with live U2OS cells. As a futuristic plan, an artificial intelligence machine learning-based rationale has been designed and proposed.
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11
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Huh S, Batistatou N, Wang J, Saunders GJ, Kritzer JA, Yudin AK. Cell penetration of oxadiazole-containing macrocycles. RSC Chem Biol 2024; 5:328-334. [PMID: 38576720 PMCID: PMC10989506 DOI: 10.1039/d3cb00201b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Passive membrane permeability is an important property in drug discovery and biological probe design. To elucidate the cell-penetrating ability of oxadiazole-containing (Odz) peptides, we employed the Chloroalkane Penetration Assay. The present study demonstrates that Odz cyclic peptides can be highly cell-penetrant depending on the position of specific side chains and the chloroalkane tag. Solution NMR shows that Odz cyclic peptides adopt a β-turn conformation. However, despite observing high cell penetration, we observed low passive permeability in experiments with artificial membranes. These findings highlight the complexity of controlling cell penetration for conformationally sensitive macrocycles and suggest that Odz cyclic peptides may provide a framework for designing cell-penetrant cyclic peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungjoon Huh
- Davenport Research Laboratories, University of Toronto 80 St. George St Toronto Ontario M5S 3H6 Canada
| | - Nefeli Batistatou
- Department of Chemistry, Tufts University 62 Talbot Ave Medford MA 02155 USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Tufts University 62 Talbot Ave Medford MA 02155 USA
| | - George J Saunders
- Davenport Research Laboratories, University of Toronto 80 St. George St Toronto Ontario M5S 3H6 Canada
| | - Joshua A Kritzer
- Department of Chemistry, Tufts University 62 Talbot Ave Medford MA 02155 USA
| | - Andrei K Yudin
- Davenport Research Laboratories, University of Toronto 80 St. George St Toronto Ontario M5S 3H6 Canada
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12
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Wang M, Pan D, Zhang Q, Lei Y, Wang C, Jia H, Mou L, Miao X, Ren X, Xu Z. Site-Selective Polyfluoroaryl Modification and Unsymmetric Stapling of Unprotected Peptides. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:6675-6685. [PMID: 38427024 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c12879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Peptide stapling is recognized as an effective strategy for improving the proteolytic stability and cell permeability of peptides. In this study, we present a novel approach for the site-selective unsymmetric perfluoroaryl stapling of Ser and Cys residues in unprotected peptides. The stapling reaction proceeds smoothly under very mild conditions, exhibiting a remarkably rapid reaction rate. It can furnish stapled products in both liquid and solid phases, and the presence of nucleophilic groups other than Cys thiol within the peptide does not impede the reaction, resulting in uniformly high yields. Importantly, the chemoselective activation of Ser β-C(sp3)-H enables the unreacted -OH to serve as a reactive handle for subsequent divergent modification of the staple moiety with various therapeutic functionalities, including a clickable azido group, a polar moiety, a lipid tag, and a fluorescent dye. In our study, we have also developed a visible-light-induced chemoselective C(sp3)-H polyfluoroarylation of the Ser β-position. This reaction avoids interference with the competitive reaction of Ser -OH, enabling the precise late-stage polyfluoroarylative modification of Ser residues in various unprotected peptides containing other highly reactive amino acid residues. The biological assay suggested that our peptide stapling strategy would potentially enhance the proteolytic stability and cellular permeability of peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengran Wang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Da Pan
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yongjia Lei
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Haoyuan Jia
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Lingyun Mou
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xiaokang Miao
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xiaoyu Ren
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Zhaoqing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Research Unit of Peptide Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU066, Lanzhou 730000, China
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13
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Li F, Liu J, Liu C, Liu Z, Peng X, Huang Y, Chen X, Sun X, Wang S, Chen W, Xiong D, Diao X, Wang S, Zhuang J, Wu C, Wu D. Cyclic peptides discriminate BCL-2 and its clinical mutants from BCL-X L by engaging a single-residue discrepancy. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1476. [PMID: 38368459 PMCID: PMC10874388 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45848-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Overexpressed pro-survival B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family proteins BCL-2 and BCL-XL can render tumor cells malignant. Leukemia drug venetoclax is currently the only approved selective BCL-2 inhibitor. However, its application has led to an emergence of resistant mutations, calling for drugs with an innovative mechanism of action. Herein we present cyclic peptides (CPs) with nanomolar-level binding affinities to BCL-2 or BCL-XL, and further reveal the structural and functional mechanisms of how these CPs target two proteins in a fashion that is remarkably different from traditional small-molecule inhibitors. In addition, these CPs can bind to the venetoclax-resistant clinical BCL-2 mutants with similar affinities as to the wild-type protein. Furthermore, we identify a single-residue discrepancy between BCL-2 D111 and BCL-XL A104 as a molecular "switch" that can differently engage CPs. Our study suggests that CPs may inhibit BCL-2 or BCL-XL by delicately modulating protein-protein interactions, potentially benefiting the development of next-generation therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengwei Li
- Helmholtz International Lab, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China.
| | - Junjie Liu
- 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, China
| | - Chao Liu
- Helmholtz International Lab, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Ziyan Liu
- 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, China
| | - Xiangda Peng
- Shanghai Zelixir Biotech Company Ltd., Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Yinyue Huang
- Helmholtz International Lab, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Xiaoyu Chen
- Helmholtz International Lab, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Xiangnan Sun
- Helmholtz International Lab, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Sen Wang
- Helmholtz International Lab, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Shanghai Immune Therapy Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine-Affiliated Renji Hospital, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Dan Xiong
- Xiamen Lifeint Technology Company Ltd., Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Xiaotong Diao
- Helmholtz International Lab, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Sheng Wang
- Shanghai Zelixir Biotech Company Ltd., Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Jingjing Zhuang
- Helmholtz International Lab, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, 264209, 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, China.
| | - Dalei Wu
- Helmholtz International Lab, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China.
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14
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Philippe GJB, Huang YH, Mittermeier A, Brown CJ, Kaas Q, Ramlan SR, Wang CK, Lane D, Loewer A, Troeira Henriques S, Craik DJ. Delivery to, and Reactivation of, the p53 Pathway in Cancer Cells Using a Grafted Cyclotide Conjugated with a Cell-Penetrating Peptide. J Med Chem 2024; 67:1197-1208. [PMID: 38174919 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Peptides are promising drug modalities that can modulate protein-protein interactions, but their application is hampered by their limited ability to reach intracellular targets. Here, we improved the cytosolic delivery of a peptide blocking p53:MDM2/X interactions using a cyclotide as a stabilizing scaffold. We applied several design strategies to improve intracellular delivery and found that the conjugation of the lead cyclotide to the cyclic cell-penetrating peptide cR10 was the most effective. Conjugation allowed cell internalization at micromolar concentration and led to elevated intracellular p53 levels in A549, MCF7, and MCF10A cells, as well as inducing apoptosis in A549 cells without causing membrane disruption. The lead peptide had >35-fold improvement in inhibitory activity and increased cellular uptake compared to a previously reported cyclotide p53 activator. In summary, we demonstrated the delivery of a large polar cyclic peptide in the cytosol and confirmed its ability to modulate intracellular protein-protein interactions involved in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire Jean-Baptiste Philippe
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia
| | - Yen-Hua Huang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Anna Mittermeier
- Department of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Christopher J Brown
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Quentin Kaas
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Siti Radhiah Ramlan
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Conan K Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - David Lane
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Alexander Loewer
- Department of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Sónia Troeira Henriques
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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15
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Jiang X, Gao L, Li Z, Shen Y, Lin ZH. Development and Challenges of Cyclic Peptides for Immunomodulation. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2024; 25:353-375. [PMID: 37990433 DOI: 10.2174/0113892037272528231030074158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic peptides are polypeptide chains formed by cyclic sequences of amide bonds between protein-derived or non-protein-derived amino acids. Compared to linear peptides, cyclic peptides offer several unique advantages, such as increased stability, stronger affinity, improved selectivity, and reduced toxicity. Cyclic peptide has been proved to have a promising application prospect in the medical field. In addition, this paper mainly describes that cyclic peptides play an important role in anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-virus, treatment of multiple sclerosis and membranous nephropathy through immunomodulation. In order to know more useful information about cyclic peptides in clinical research and drug application, this paper also summarizes cyclic peptides currently in the clinical trial stage and cyclic peptide drugs approved for marketing in the recent five years. Cyclic peptides have many advantages and great potential in treating various diseases, but there are still many challenges to be solved in the development process of cyclic peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianqiong Jiang
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, 405400 Chongqing, China
| | - Li Gao
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, 405400 Chongqing, China
| | - Zhilong Li
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, 405400 Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Shen
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, 405400 Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Target Based Drug Screening and Activity Evaluation, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, China
| | - Zhi-Hua Lin
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, 405400 Chongqing, China
- Chongqing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 402760
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Target Based Drug Screening and Activity Evaluation, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, China
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16
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Jagrosse ML, Baliga UK, Jones CW, Russell JJ, García CI, Najar RA, Rahman A, Dean DA, Nilsson BL. Impact of Peptide Sequence on Functional siRNA Delivery and Gene Knockdown with Cyclic Amphipathic Peptide Delivery Agents. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:6090-6103. [PMID: 37963105 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Short-interfering RNA (siRNA) oligonucleotide therapeutics that modify gene expression by accessing RNA-interference (RNAi) pathways have great promise for the treatment of a range of disorders; however, their application in clinical settings has been limited by significant challenges in cellular delivery. Herein, we report a structure-function study using a series of modified cyclic amphipathic cell-penetrating peptides (CAPs) to determine the impact of peptide sequence on (1) siRNA-binding efficiency, (2) cellular delivery and knockdown efficiency, and (3) the endocytic uptake mechanism. Nine cyclic peptides of the general sequence Ac-C[XZ]4CG-NH2 in which X residues are hydrophobic/aromatic (Phe, Tyr, Trp, or Leu) and Z residues are charged/hydrophilic (Arg, Lys, Ser, or Glu) are assessed along with one acyclic peptide, Ac-(WR)4G-NH2. Cyclization is enforced by intramolecular disulfide bond formation between the flanking Cys residues. Binding analyses indicate that strong cationic character and the presence of aromatic residues that are competent to participate in CH-π interactions lead to CAP sequences that most effectively interact with siRNA. CAP-siRNA binding increases in the following order as a function of CAP hydrophobic/aromatic content: His < Phe < Tyr < Trp. Both cationic charge and disulfide-constrained cyclization of CAPs improve uptake of siRNA in vitro. Net neutral CAPs and an acyclic peptide demonstrate less-efficient siRNA translocation compared to the cyclic, cationic CAPs tested. All CAPs tested facilitated efficient siRNA target gene knockdown of at least 50% (as effective as a lipofectamine control), with the best CAPs enabling >80% knockdown. Significantly, gene knockdown efficiency does not strongly correlate with CAP-siRNA internalization efficiency but moderately correlates with CAP-siRNA-binding affinity. Finally, utilization of small-molecule inhibitors and targeted knockdown of essential endocytic pathway proteins indicate that most CAP-siRNA nanoparticles facilitate siRNA delivery through clathrin- and caveolin-mediated endocytosis. These results provide insight into the design principles for CAPs to facilitate siRNA delivery and the mechanisms by which these peptides translocate siRNA into cells. These studies also demonstrate the nature of the relationships between peptide-siRNA binding, cellular delivery of siRNA cargo, and functional gene knockdown. Strong correlations between these properties are not always observed, which illustrates the complexity in the design of optimal next-generation materials for oligonucleotide delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Jagrosse
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627-0216, United States
| | - Uday K Baliga
- Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, University of Rochester Medical Center, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - Christopher W Jones
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627-0216, United States
| | - Jade J Russell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627-0216, United States
| | - Claudia I García
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627-0216, United States
| | - Rauf Ahmad Najar
- Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, University of Rochester Medical Center, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - Arshad Rahman
- Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, University of Rochester Medical Center, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - David A Dean
- Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, University of Rochester Medical Center, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - Bradley L Nilsson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627-0216, United States
- Materials Science Program, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
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17
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Li X, Wang N, Liu Y, Li W, Bai X, Liu P, He CY. Backbone N-methylation of peptides: Advances in synthesis and applications in pharmaceutical drug development. Bioorg Chem 2023; 141:106892. [PMID: 37776681 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Peptide-based drugs have garnered considerable attention in recent years owing to their increasingly crucial role in the treatment of diverse diseases. However, the limited pharmacokinetic properties of peptides have hindered their full potential. One prominent strategy for enhancing the druggability of peptides is N-methylation, which involves the addition of a methyl group to the nitrogen atom of the peptide backbone. This modification significantly improves the stability, bioavailability, receptor binding affinity and selectivity of peptide drug candidates. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the advancements in synthetic methods for N-methylated peptide synthesis, as well as the associated limitations. Moreover, we explore the versatile effects of N-methylation on various aspects of peptide properties. Furthermore, we emphasize the efforts dedicated to N-methylated peptide pharmaceuticals that have successfully obtained marketing approval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefei Li
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis & Chiral Drug Synthesis of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563000, China; Central Research Institute, United-Imaging Healthcare Group Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Ningchao Wang
- Central Research Institute, United-Imaging Healthcare Group Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhang Liu
- Central Research Institute, United-Imaging Healthcare Group Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Weipiao Li
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis & Chiral Drug Synthesis of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563000, China
| | - Xinyu Bai
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis & Chiral Drug Synthesis of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563000, China
| | - Ping Liu
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis & Chiral Drug Synthesis of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563000, China
| | - Chun-Yang He
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis & Chiral Drug Synthesis of Guizhou Province, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563000, China.
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18
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Tang X, Kokot J, Waibl F, Fernández-Quintero ML, Kamenik AS, Liedl KR. Addressing Challenges of Macrocyclic Conformational Sampling in Polar and Apolar Solvents: Lessons for Chameleonicity. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:7107-7123. [PMID: 37943023 PMCID: PMC10685455 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated a workflow to reliably sample the conformational space of a set of 47 peptidic macrocycles. Starting from SMILES strings, we use accelerated molecular dynamics simulations to overcome high energy barriers, in particular, the cis-trans isomerization of peptide bonds. We find that our approach performs very well in polar solvents like water and dimethyl sulfoxide. Interestingly, the protonation state of a secondary amine in the ring only slightly influences the conformational ensembles of our test systems. For several of the macrocycles, determining the conformational distribution in chloroform turns out to be considerably more challenging. Especially, the choice of partial charges crucially influences the ensembles in chloroform. We address these challenges by modifying initial structures and the choice of partial charges. Our results suggest that special care has to be taken to understand the configurational distribution in apolar solvents, which is a key step toward a reliable prediction of membrane permeation of macrocycles and their chameleonic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuechen Tang
- Department
of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Janik Kokot
- Department
of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Franz Waibl
- Department
of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Department
of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH
Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Anna S. Kamenik
- Department
of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Klaus R. Liedl
- Department
of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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19
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Takechi-Haraya Y, Ohgita T, Usui A, Nishitsuji K, Uchimura K, Abe Y, Kawano R, Konaklieva MI, Reimund M, Remaley AT, Sato Y, Izutsu KI, Saito H. Structural flexibility of apolipoprotein E-derived arginine-rich peptides improves their cell penetration capability. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19396. [PMID: 37938626 PMCID: PMC10632520 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46754-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphipathic arginine-rich peptide, A2-17, exhibits moderate perturbation of lipid membranes and the highest cell penetration among its structural isomers. We investigated the direct cell-membrane penetration mechanism of the A2-17 peptide while focusing on structural flexibility. We designed conformationally constrained versions of A2-17, stapled (StpA2-17) and stitched (StchA2-17), whose α-helical conformations were stabilized by chemical crosslinking. Circular dichroism confirmed that StpA2-17 and StchA2-17 had higher α-helix content than A2-17 in aqueous solution. Upon liposome binding, only A2-17 exhibited a coil-to-helix transition. Confocal microscopy revealed that A2-17 had higher cell penetration efficiency than StpA2-17, whereas StchA2-17 remained on the cell membrane without cell penetration. Although the tryptophan fluorescence analysis suggested that A2-17 and its analogs had similar membrane-insertion positions between the interface and hydrophobic core, StchA2-17 exhibited a higher membrane affinity than A2-17 or StpA2-17. Atomic force microscopy demonstrated that A2-17 reduced the mechanical rigidity of liposomes to a greater extent than StpA2-17 and StchA2-17. Finally, electrophysiological analysis showed that A2-17 induced a higher charge influx through transient pores in a planer lipid bilayer than StpA2-17 and StchA2-17. These findings indicate that structural flexibility, which enables diverse conformations of A2-17, leads to a membrane perturbation mode that contributes to cell membrane penetration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Takechi-Haraya
- Division of Drugs, National Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-9501, Japan.
| | - Takashi Ohgita
- Center for Instrumental Analysis, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 1 Misasagi-Shichono-cho, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto, 607-8412, Japan
| | - Akiko Usui
- Division of Drugs, National Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-9501, Japan
| | - Kazuchika Nishitsuji
- Department of Biochemistry, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama, 641-8509, Japan
- Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, UMR 8576 CNRS, Université de Lille, 59655, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| | - Kenji Uchimura
- Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, UMR 8576 CNRS, Université de Lille, 59655, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| | - Yasuhiro Abe
- Division of Drugs, National Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-9501, Japan
| | - Ryuji Kawano
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-6 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan
| | - Monika I Konaklieva
- Department of Chemistry, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20016-8014, USA
| | - Mart Reimund
- Lipoprotein Metabolism Laboratory, Translational Vascular Medicine Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Alan T Remaley
- Lipoprotein Metabolism Laboratory, Translational Vascular Medicine Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Yoji Sato
- Division of Drugs, National Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-9501, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Izutsu
- School of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, International University of Health and Welfare, 2600-1 Kitakanemaru, Otawara, Tochigi, 324-8501, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Saito
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Misasagi-Nakauchi-cho, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto, 607-8414, Japan
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20
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Feng X, Chang R, Zhu H, Yang Y, Ji Y, Liu D, Qin H, Yin J, Rong H. Engineering Proteins for Cell Entry. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:4868-4882. [PMID: 37708383 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Proteins are essential for life, as they participate in all vital processes in the body. In the past decade, delivery of active proteins to specific cells and organs has attracted increasing interest. However, most proteins cannot enter the cytoplasm due to the cell membrane acting as a natural barrier. To overcome this challenge, various proteins have been engineered to acquire cell-penetrating capacity by mimicking or modifying natural shuttling proteins. In this review, we provide an overview of the different types of engineered cell-penetrating proteins such as cell-penetrating peptides, supercharged proteins, receptor-binding proteins, and bacterial toxins. We also discuss some strategies for improving endosomal escape such as pore formation, the proton sponge effect, and hijacking intracellular trafficking pathways. Finally, we introduce some novel methods and technologies for designing and detecting engineered cell-penetrating proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Feng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Ruilong Chang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Haichao Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yifan Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yue Ji
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Dingkang Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Hai Qin
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital Guizhou Hospital, No. 206, Sixian Street, Baiyun District, Guiyang, Guizhou 550014, China
| | - Jun Yin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Haibo Rong
- Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210009, China
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21
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Zhao Y, Jiang H, Yu J, Wang L, Du J. Engineered Histidine-Rich Peptides Enhance Endosomal Escape for Antibody-Targeted Intracellular Delivery of Functional Proteins. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202304692. [PMID: 37283024 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202304692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Currently, the clinical application of protein/peptide therapeutics is mainly limited to the modulation of diseases in extracellular spaces. Intracellular targets are hardly accessed, owing largely to the endosomal entrapment of internalized proteins/peptides. Here, we report a strategy to design and construct peptides that enable endosome-to-cytosol delivery based on an extension of the "histidine switch" principle. By substituting the Arg/Lys residues in cationic cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) with histidine, we obtained peptides with pH-dependent membrane-perturbation activity. These peptides do not randomly penetrate cells like CPPs, but imitate the endosomal escape of CPPs following cellular uptake. Working with one such 16-residue peptide (hsLMWP) with high endosomal escape capacity, we engineered modular fusion proteins and achieved antibody-targeted delivery of diverse protein cargoes-including the pro-apoptotic protein BID (BH3-interacting domain death agonist) and Cre recombinase-into the cytosol of multiple cancer cell types. After extensive in vitro testing, an in vivo analysis with xenograft mice ultimately demonstrated that a trastuzumab-hsLMWP-BID fusion conferred strong anti-tumor efficacy without apparent side effects. Notably, our fusion protein features a modular design, allowing flexible applications for any antibody/cargo combination of choice. Therefore, the potential applications extend throughout life science and biomedicine, including gene editing, cancer treatment, and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute Biological Sciences (PTN) Joint Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Haolin Jiang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies (AAIS), Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute Biological Sciences (PTN) Joint Graduate Program, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jiazhen Yu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Luyao Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Juanjuan Du
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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22
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Ramelot TA, Palmer J, Montelione GT, Bhardwaj G. Cell-permeable chameleonic peptides: Exploiting conformational dynamics in de novo cyclic peptide design. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 80:102603. [PMID: 37178478 PMCID: PMC10923192 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Membrane-traversing peptides offer opportunities for targeting intracellular proteins and oral delivery. Despite progress in understanding the mechanisms underlying membrane traversal in natural cell-permeable peptides, there are still several challenges to designing membrane-traversing peptides with diverse shapes and sizes. Conformational flexibility appears to be a key determinant of membrane permeability of large macrocycles. We review recent developments in the design and validation of chameleonic cyclic peptides, which can switch between alternative conformations to enable improved permeability through cell membranes, while still maintaining reasonable solubility and exposed polar functional groups for target protein binding. Finally, we discuss the principles, strategies, and practical considerations for rational design, discovery, and validation of permeable chameleonic peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa A Ramelot
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - Jonathan Palmer
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Gaetano T Montelione
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA.
| | - Gaurav Bhardwaj
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
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23
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Qian L, Lin X, Gao X, Khan RU, Liao JY, Du S, Ge J, Zeng S, Yao SQ. The Dawn of a New Era: Targeting the "Undruggables" with Antibody-Based Therapeutics. Chem Rev 2023. [PMID: 37186942 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The high selectivity and affinity of antibodies toward their antigens have made them a highly valuable tool in disease therapy, diagnosis, and basic research. A plethora of chemical and genetic approaches have been devised to make antibodies accessible to more "undruggable" targets and equipped with new functions of illustrating or regulating biological processes more precisely. In this Review, in addition to introducing how naked antibodies and various antibody conjugates (such as antibody-drug conjugates, antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates, antibody-enzyme conjugates, etc.) work in therapeutic applications, special attention has been paid to how chemistry tools have helped to optimize the therapeutic outcome (i.e., with enhanced efficacy and reduced side effects) or facilitate the multifunctionalization of antibodies, with a focus on emerging fields such as targeted protein degradation, real-time live-cell imaging, catalytic labeling or decaging with spatiotemporal control as well as the engagement of antibodies inside cells. With advances in modern chemistry and biotechnology, well-designed antibodies and their derivatives via size miniaturization or multifunctionalization together with efficient delivery systems have emerged, which have gradually improved our understanding of important biological processes and paved the way to pursue novel targets for potential treatments of various diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linghui Qian
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cancer Center, & Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xuefen Lin
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cancer Center, & Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xue Gao
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cancer Center, & Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Rizwan Ullah Khan
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cancer Center, & Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jia-Yu Liao
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cancer Center, & Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shubo Du
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Jingyan Ge
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Su Zeng
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cancer Center, & Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shao Q Yao
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 4 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117544
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24
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Calabretta LO, Yang J, Raines RT. N α -Methylation of arginine: Implications for cell-penetrating peptides. J Pept Sci 2023; 29:e3468. [PMID: 36494904 PMCID: PMC10073267 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The field of cell-penetrating peptides is dominated by the use of oligomers of arginine residues. Octanol-water partitioning in the presence of an anionic lipid is a validated proxy for cell-penetrative efficacy. Here, we add one, two, or three N-methyl groups to Ac-Arg-NH2 and examine the effects on octanol-water partitioning. In the absence of an anionic lipid, none of these arginine derivatives can be detected in the octanol layer. In the presence of sodium dodecanoate, however, increasing N-methylation correlates with increasing partitioning into octanol, which is predictive of higher cell-penetrative ability. We then evaluated fully Nα -methylated oligoarginine peptides and observed an increase in their cellular penetration compared with canonical oligoarginine peptides in some contexts. These findings indicate that a simple modification, Nα -methylation, can enhance the performance of cell-penetrating peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ronald T. Raines
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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25
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Moxam J, Naylon S, Richaud AD, Zhao G, Padilla A, Roche SP. Passive Membrane Permeability of Sizable Acyclic β-Hairpin Peptides. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:278-284. [PMID: 36923919 PMCID: PMC10009788 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent shift toward increasingly larger drug modalities has created a significant demand for novel classes of compounds with high membrane permeability that can inhibit intracellular protein-protein interactions (PPIs). While major advances have been made in the design of cell-permeable helices, stapled β-sheets, and cyclic peptides, the development of large acyclic β-hairpins lags far behind. Therefore, we investigated a series of 26 β-hairpins (MW > 1.6 kDa) belonging to a chemical space far beyond the Lipinski "rule of five" (fbRo5) and showed that, in addition to their innate plasticity, the lipophilicity of these peptides (log D 7.4 ≈ 0 ± 0.7) can be tuned to drastically improve the balance between aqueous solubility and passive membrane permeability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillene Moxam
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic
University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, United States
| | - Sarah Naylon
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic
University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, United States
| | - Alexis D. Richaud
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic
University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, United States
| | - Guangkuan Zhao
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic
University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, United States
| | - Alberto Padilla
- Department
of Natural Science, Keiser University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309, United States
| | - Stéphane P. Roche
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic
University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, United States
- Center
for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
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26
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Zhang P, Walko M, Wilson A. Maleimide constrained BAD BH3 domain peptides as BCL-xL Inhibitors: A Versatile Approach to Rapidly Identify Sites Compatible with Peptide Constraining. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2023; 87:129260. [PMID: 36997005 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2023.129260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Development of protein-protein interaction (PPI) inhibitors remains a major challenge. A significant number of PPIs are mediated by helical recognition epitopes; although peptides derived from such epitopes are attractive templates for inhibitor design, they may not readily adopt a bioactive conformation, are susceptible to proteolysis and rarely elicit optimal cell uptake properties. Constraining peptides has therefore emerged as a useful method to mitigate against these liabilities in the development of PPI inhibitors. Building on our recently reported method for constraining peptides by reaction of dibromomaleimide derivatives with two cysteines positioned in an i and i + 4 relationship, in this study, we showcase the power of the method for rapid identification of ideal constraining positions using a maleimide-staple scan based on a 19-mer sequence derived from the BAD BH3 domain. We found that the maleimide constraint had little or a detrimental impact on helicity and potency in most sequences, but successfully identified i, i + 4 positions where the maleimide constraint was tolerated. Analyses using modelling and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that the inactive constrained peptides likely lose interactions with the protein as a result of introducing the constraint.
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27
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Shi L, Jin Y, Bai L, Shang X, Li Y, Zhou R. Ultrasensitive
redox‐responsive ditelluride‐containing
fluorinated Gemini micelles for controlled drug release. J Appl Polym Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/app.53719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Liangjie Shi
- Key Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering, Ministry of Education, National Engineering Research Center of Clean Technology in Leather Industry Sichuan University Chengdu People's Republic of China
| | - Yong Jin
- Key Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering, Ministry of Education, National Engineering Research Center of Clean Technology in Leather Industry Sichuan University Chengdu People's Republic of China
| | - Long Bai
- Key Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering, Ministry of Education, National Engineering Research Center of Clean Technology in Leather Industry Sichuan University Chengdu People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang Shang
- Key Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering, Ministry of Education, National Engineering Research Center of Clean Technology in Leather Industry Sichuan University Chengdu People's Republic of China
| | - Yupeng Li
- Key Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering, Ministry of Education, National Engineering Research Center of Clean Technology in Leather Industry Sichuan University Chengdu People's Republic of China
| | - Rong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering, Ministry of Education, National Engineering Research Center of Clean Technology in Leather Industry Sichuan University Chengdu People's Republic of China
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28
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Nuclear localization signal peptides enhance genetic transformation of Dunaliella salina. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:1459-1467. [PMID: 36482029 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-08159-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dunaliella salina (D. salina) expression system shows a very attractive application prospect, but it currently has a technical bottleneck, namely the low or unstable expression of recombinant proteins. Given the characteristics of cell-penetrating peptides or/and nuclear localization signal (NLS) peptides, this study is the first attempt to improve the transformation rate of foreign gene with trans-activating transcriptional (TAT) protein or/and NLS peptides. METHODS AND RESULTS Using salt gradient method, exogenous plasmids were transferred into D. salina cells with TAT or TAT/NLS complexes simultaneously. The β-glucuronidase gene expression was identified by means of histochemical stain and RT-qPCR detection. Through observation with light microscope, TAT-mediating cells exhibit an apparent cytotoxicity even at ratios of 0.5, no significant toxicity was noted in the TAT/plasmid/NLS complex group. It is obvious that with the addition of peptides the toxicity decreases significantly. Histochemical staining showed that the transformants presented blue color under light microscope, but the negative control and blank control are not. Furthermore, based on a TAT/plasmids ratio of 4 with 10 µg NLS peptides mediation, RT-qPCR results demonstrated that the transcripts of target gene were increased by 269 times than that of control group. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that combination of TAT and NLS peptides can significantly improve the transformation rate and expression level of foreign gene in D. salina system. It offers a promising way for promoting the application and development of D. salina bioreactor.
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29
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Soprano E, Polo E, Pelaz B, del Pino P. Biomimetic cell-derived nanocarriers in cancer research. J Nanobiotechnology 2022; 20:538. [PMID: 36544135 PMCID: PMC9771790 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-022-01748-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanoparticles have now long demonstrated capabilities that make them attractive to use in biology and medicine. Some of them, such as lipid nanoparticles (SARS-CoV-2 vaccines) or metallic nanoparticles (contrast agents) are already approved for their use in the clinic. However, considering the constantly growing body of different formulations and the huge research around nanomaterials the number of candidates reaching clinical trials or being commercialized is minimal. The reasons behind being related to the "synthetic" and "foreign" character of their surface. Typically, nanomaterials aiming to develop a function or deliver a cargo locally, fail by showing strong off-target accumulation and generation of adverse responses, which is connected to their strong recognition by immune phagocytes primarily. Therefore, rendering in negligible numbers of nanoparticles developing their intended function. While a wide range of coatings has been applied to avoid certain interactions with the surrounding milieu, the issues remained. Taking advantage of the natural cell membranes, in an approach that resembles a cell transfer, the use of cell-derived surfaces has risen as an alternative to artificial coatings or encapsulation methods. Biomimetic technologies are based on the use of isolated natural components to provide autologous properties to the nanoparticle or cargo being encapsulated, thus, improving their therapeutic behavior. The main goal is to replicate the (bio)-physical properties and functionalities of the source cell and tissue, not only providing a stealthy character to the core but also taking advantage of homotypic properties, that could prove relevant for targeted strategies. Such biomimetic formulations have the potential to overcome the main issues of approaches to provide specific features and identities synthetically. In this review, we provide insight into the challenges of nano-biointerfaces for drug delivery; and the main applications of biomimetic materials derived from specific cell types, focusing on the unique strengths of the fabrication of novel nanotherapeutics in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Soprano
- grid.11794.3a0000000109410645Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Ester Polo
- grid.11794.3a0000000109410645Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Beatriz Pelaz
- grid.11794.3a0000000109410645Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Pablo del Pino
- grid.11794.3a0000000109410645Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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30
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Hsueh SCC, Aina A, Plotkin SS. Ensemble Generation for Linear and Cyclic Peptides Using a Reservoir Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics Implementation in GROMACS. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:10384-10399. [PMID: 36410027 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The profile of shapes presented by a cyclic peptide modulates its therapeutic efficacy and is represented by the ensemble of its sampled conformations. Although some algorithms excel at creating a diverse ensemble of cyclic peptide conformations, they seldom address the entropic contribution of flexible conformations and often have significant practical difficulty producing an ensemble with converged and reliable thermodynamic properties. In this study, an accelerated molecular dynamics (MD) method, namely, reservoir replica exchange MD (R-REMD or Res-REMD), was implemented in GROMACS ver. 4.6.7 and benchmarked on two small cyclic peptide model systems: a cyclized furin cleavage site of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (cyclo-(CGPRRARSG)) and oxytocin (disulfide-bonded CYIQNCPLG). Additionally, we also benchmarked Res-REMD on alanine dipeptide and Trpzip2 to demonstrate its validity and efficiency over REMD. For Trpzip2, Res-REMD coupled with an umbrella-sampling-derived reservoir generated similar folded fractions as regular REMD but on a much faster time scale. For cyclic peptides, Res-REMD appeared to be marginally faster than REMD in ensemble generation. Finally, Res-REMD was more effective in sampling rare events such as trans to cis peptide bond isomerization. We provide a GitHub page with the modified GROMACS source code for running Res-REMD at https://github.com/PlotkinLab/Reservoir-REMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn C C Hsueh
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BCV6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Adekunle Aina
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BCV6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Steven S Plotkin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BCV6T 1Z1, Canada.,Genome Science and Technology Program, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BCV6T 1Z1, Canada
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31
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Cheng Y, Clark AE, Zhou J, He T, Li Y, Borum RM, Creyer MN, Xu M, Jin Z, Zhou J, Yim W, Wu Z, Fajtová P, O’Donoghue AJ, Carlin AF, Jokerst JV. Protease-Responsive Peptide-Conjugated Mitochondrial-Targeting AIEgens for Selective Imaging and Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2-Infected Cells. ACS NANO 2022; 16:12305-12317. [PMID: 35878004 PMCID: PMC9344892 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c03219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a serious threat to human health and lacks an effective treatment. There is an urgent need for both real-time tracking and precise treatment of the SARS-CoV-2-infected cells to mitigate and ultimately prevent viral transmission. However, selective triggering and tracking of the therapeutic process in the infected cells remains challenging. Here, we report a main protease (Mpro)-responsive, mitochondrial-targeting, and modular-peptide-conjugated probe (PSGMR) for selective imaging and inhibition of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells via enzyme-instructed self-assembly and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect. The amphiphilic PSGMR was constructed with tunable structure and responsive efficiency and validated with recombinant proteins, cells transfected with Mpro plasmid or infected by SARS-CoV-2, and a Mpro inhibitor. By rational construction of AIE luminogen (AIEgen) with modular peptides and Mpro, we verified that the cleavage of PSGMR yielded gradual aggregation with bright fluorescence and enhanced cytotoxicity to induce mitochondrial interference of the infected cells. This strategy may have value for selective detection and treatment of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Cheng
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Alex E. Clark
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jiajing Zhou
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Tengyu He
- Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Yi Li
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Raina M. Borum
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Matthew N. Creyer
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ming Xu
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Zhicheng Jin
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jingcheng Zhou
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Wonjun Yim
- Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Zhuohong Wu
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Pavla Fajtová
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Anthony J. O’Donoghue
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Aaron F. Carlin
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jesse V. Jokerst
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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32
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Saunders GJ, Yudin AK. Property‐Driven Development of Passively Permeable Macrocyclic Scaffolds Using Heterocycles**. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202206866. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.202206866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- George J. Saunders
- Davenport Research Laboratories University of Toronto 80 St. George St Toronto Ontario, M5S 3H6 Canada
| | - Andrei K. Yudin
- Davenport Research Laboratories University of Toronto 80 St. George St Toronto Ontario, M5S 3H6 Canada
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33
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Redox-responsive carrier based on fluorinated gemini amphiphilic polymer for combinational cancer therapy. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2022; 216:112551. [PMID: 35567807 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.112551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Polymeric micelle has emerged as an efficient implement to overcome the shortcomings of conventional cancer chemotherapy due to its superior solubility of hydrophobic drugs and less side effects of drugs. However, insufficient dilution resistance and ordinary therapeutic effect severely restrict the further translation of current drug-loaded polymeric micelles. Here, we showed that well-defined G-Fn (n = 5, 9, 13) polymeric micelles possessed excellent capabilities as a drug carrier in light of high drug loading content, high stability and precise drug release combined with wonderful endocytosis efficiency to tumors. The representative G-F13 exhibited an excellent dilution resistance, outstanding high drug loading content (22 wt%) and drug loading efficiency (82%), which might be attributed to the extremely low critical micelle concentration conferred by its special Gemini structure and the superhydrophobicity of the fluorocarbon chain. Furthermore, the "cross-linked" internal fluoride membrane consisted of the two chains of the Gemini structure made G-F13 stable even after 24 h of incubation in 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). The camptothecin (CPT) release was selectively triggered by glutathione (GSH) and H2O2, reaching 75% and 85% after 24 h respectively, in which only 15% of drugs leak under physiological conditions. The CCK-8 assays of Hela cells showed that CPT-loaded G-F13 micelles had high cell compatibility (200 μg/mL, 93% cell viability, 48 h) and high cancer cytotoxicity (IC50 0.1 μg/mL). Notably, a tenfold lower dosage of loaded CPT had an higher tumor growth inhibition than the free CPT. This result was attributed to the combined treatment of fluorinated drug carriers were more likely to penetrate the cell membrane to enter tumor cells, the cytotoxicity of selenic acid generated after the oxidation of G-F13 and the large amounts of CPT after redox release. Excellent physical and chemical properties as well as good therapeutic effects reveal that G-F13 can act as a promising drug carrier to widely use in cancer chemotherapy.
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Koelman EMR, Yeste-Vázquez A, Grossmann TN. Targeting the interaction of β-catenin and TCF/LEF transcription factors to inhibit oncogenic Wnt signaling. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 70:116920. [PMID: 35841828 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.116920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is crucially involved in embryonic development, stem cell maintenance and tissue renewal. Hyperactivation of this pathway is associated with the development and progression of various types of cancers. The transcriptional coactivator β-catenin represents a pivotal component of the pathway and its interaction with transcription factors of the TCF/LEF family is central to pathway activation. Inhibition of this crucial protein-protein interaction via direct targeting of β-catenin is considered a promising strategy for the inactivation of oncogenic Wnt signaling. This review summarizes advances in the development of Wnt antagonists that have been shown to directly bind β-catenin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M R Koelman
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NL, The Netherlands
| | - Alejandro Yeste-Vázquez
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NL, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NL, The Netherlands
| | - Tom N Grossmann
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NL, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NL, The Netherlands.
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35
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Saunders GJ, Yudin AK. Property‐Driven Development of Passively Permeable Macrocyclic Scaffolds using Heterocycles. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202206866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- George J. Saunders
- University of Toronto - St George Campus: University of Toronto Chemistry 80 St George St M5S3H6 Toronto CANADA
| | - Andrei K. Yudin
- University of Toronto Department of Chemistry 80 St. George Street M5S 3H6 Toronto CANADA
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36
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Kang Z, Liu Q, Zhang Z, Zheng Y, Wang C, Pan Z, Li Q, Liu Y, Shi L. Arginine-Rich Polymers with Pore-Forming Capability Enable Efficient Intracellular Delivery via Direct Translocation Across Cell Membrane. Adv Healthc Mater 2022; 11:e2200371. [PMID: 35460333 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202200371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Efficient delivery of biomacromolecules or drugs across the cell membrane via endocytosis usually encounters inevitable entrapment in endosomes and subsequent degradation in lyso-endosomes. To address this issue, a series of arginine-rich cell penetrating polymers is designed and synthesized, which internalize into cells by inducing the formation of pores on the cell membrane, thereby crossing the cell membrane via direct translocation that fundamentally avoids endo/lysosomal entrapment. The structure-activity relationship studies show that PTn-R2-C6, which is a type of polymer that has two arginine residues and a flexible hexanoic acid linker in each side chain, exhibits excellent pore-formation ability on the cell membrane. Further investigations indicate that PTn-R2-C6 rapidly transports plasmid DNAs into cytosol through a similar endocytosis-independent pathway, thereby achieving significantly higher transfection efficiency and lower cytotoxicity than the gold-standard transfection reagent PEI 25K. These results suggest the great potential of PTn-R2-C6 as a safe and efficient gene transfection reagent for wide applications including disease treatments, vaccine development, and biomedical research purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyao Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education College of Chemistry Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter Nankai University Tianjin 300071 P. R. China
| | - Qi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education College of Chemistry Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter Nankai University Tianjin 300071 P. R. China
| | - Zhanzhan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education College of Chemistry Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter Nankai University Tianjin 300071 P. R. China
| | - Yadan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education College of Chemistry Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter Nankai University Tianjin 300071 P. R. China
| | - Chun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education College of Chemistry Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter Nankai University Tianjin 300071 P. R. China
| | - Zheng Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education College of Chemistry Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter Nankai University Tianjin 300071 P. R. China
| | - Qiushi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education College of Chemistry Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter Nankai University Tianjin 300071 P. R. China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education College of Chemistry Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter Nankai University Tianjin 300071 P. R. China
| | - Linqi Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education College of Chemistry Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter Nankai University Tianjin 300071 P. R. China
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Abstract
In-cell structural biology aims at extracting structural information about proteins or nucleic acids in their native, cellular environment. This emerging field holds great promise and is already providing new facts and outlooks of interest at both fundamental and applied levels. NMR spectroscopy has important contributions on this stage: It brings information on a broad variety of nuclei at the atomic scale, which ensures its great versatility and uniqueness. Here, we detail the methods, the fundamental knowledge, and the applications in biomedical engineering related to in-cell structural biology by NMR. We finally propose a brief overview of the main other techniques in the field (EPR, smFRET, cryo-ET, etc.) to draw some advisable developments for in-cell NMR. In the era of large-scale screenings and deep learning, both accurate and qualitative experimental evidence are as essential as ever to understand the interior life of cells. In-cell structural biology by NMR spectroscopy can generate such a knowledge, and it does so at the atomic scale. This review is meant to deliver comprehensive but accessible information, with advanced technical details and reflections on the methods, the nature of the results, and the future of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois-Xavier Theillet
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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38
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Effect of hydrophobic moment on membrane interaction and cell penetration of apolipoprotein E-derived arginine-rich amphipathic α-helical peptides. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4959. [PMID: 35322082 PMCID: PMC8943082 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08876-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously developed an amphipathic arginine-rich peptide, A2-17, which has high ability to directly penetrate across cell membranes. To understand the mechanism of the efficient cell-penetrating ability of the A2-17 peptide, we designed three structural isomers of A2-17 having different values of the hydrophobic moment and compared their membrane interaction and direct cell penetration. Confocal fluorescence microscopy revealed that cell penetration efficiency of peptides tends to increase with their hydrophobic moment, in which A2-17 L14R/R15L, an A2-17 isomer with the highest hydrophobic moment, predominantly remains on plasma cell membranes. Consistently, Trp fluorescence analysis indicated the deepest insertion of A2-17 L14R/R15L into lipid membranes among all A2-17 isomers. Electrophysiological analysis showed that the duration and charge flux of peptide-induced pores in lipid membranes were prominent for A2-17 L14R/R15L, indicating the formation of stable membrane pores. Indeed, the A2-17 L14R/R15L peptide exhibited the strongest membrane damage to CHO-K1 cells. Atomic force microscopy quantitatively defined the peptide-induced membrane perturbation as the decrease in the stiffness of lipid vesicles, which was correlated with the hydrophobic moment of all A2-17 isomers. These results indicate that optimal membrane perturbation by amphipathic A2-17 peptide is critical for its efficient penetration into cells without inducing stabilized membrane pores.
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Hetényi A, Szabó E, Imre N, Bhaumik KN, Tököli A, Füzesi T, Hollandi R, Horvath P, Czibula Á, Monostori É, Deli MA, Martinek TA. α/β-Peptides as Nanomolar Triggers of Lipid Raft-Mediated Endocytosis through GM1 Ganglioside Recognition. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14030580. [PMID: 35335956 PMCID: PMC8953856 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14030580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell delivery of therapeutic macromolecules and nanoparticles is a critical drug development challenge. Translocation through lipid raft-mediated endocytic mechanisms is being sought, as it can avoid rapid lysosomal degradation. Here, we present a set of short α/β-peptide tags with high affinity to the lipid raft-associated ganglioside GM1. These sequences induce effective internalization of the attached immunoglobulin cargo. The structural requirements of the GM1-peptide interaction are presented, and the importance of the membrane components are shown. The results contribute to the development of a receptor-based cell delivery platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anasztázia Hetényi
- Department of Medical Chemistry, University of Szeged, Dóm Tér 8, 6720 Szeged, Hungary; (A.H.); (N.I.); (K.N.B.); (A.T.); (T.F.)
| | - Enikő Szabó
- Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (E.S.); (É.M.)
| | - Norbert Imre
- Department of Medical Chemistry, University of Szeged, Dóm Tér 8, 6720 Szeged, Hungary; (A.H.); (N.I.); (K.N.B.); (A.T.); (T.F.)
| | - Kaushik Nath Bhaumik
- Department of Medical Chemistry, University of Szeged, Dóm Tér 8, 6720 Szeged, Hungary; (A.H.); (N.I.); (K.N.B.); (A.T.); (T.F.)
| | - Attila Tököli
- Department of Medical Chemistry, University of Szeged, Dóm Tér 8, 6720 Szeged, Hungary; (A.H.); (N.I.); (K.N.B.); (A.T.); (T.F.)
| | - Tamás Füzesi
- Department of Medical Chemistry, University of Szeged, Dóm Tér 8, 6720 Szeged, Hungary; (A.H.); (N.I.); (K.N.B.); (A.T.); (T.F.)
| | - Réka Hollandi
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (R.H.); (P.H.)
| | - Peter Horvath
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (R.H.); (P.H.)
| | - Ágnes Czibula
- Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (E.S.); (É.M.)
- Correspondence: (Á.C.); (T.A.M.)
| | - Éva Monostori
- Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (E.S.); (É.M.)
| | - Mária A. Deli
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary;
| | - Tamás A. Martinek
- Department of Medical Chemistry, University of Szeged, Dóm Tér 8, 6720 Szeged, Hungary; (A.H.); (N.I.); (K.N.B.); (A.T.); (T.F.)
- Correspondence: (Á.C.); (T.A.M.)
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40
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Tietz O, Cortezon-Tamarit F, Chalk R, Able S, Vallis KA. Tricyclic cell-penetrating peptides for efficient delivery of functional antibodies into cancer cells. Nat Chem 2022; 14:284-293. [PMID: 35145246 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-021-00866-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The intracellular environment hosts a large number of cancer- and other disease-relevant human proteins. Targeting these with internalized antibodies would allow therapeutic modulation of hitherto undruggable pathways, such as those mediated by protein-protein interactions. However, one of the major obstacles in intracellular targeting is the entrapment of biomacromolecules in the endosome. Here we report an approach to delivering antibodies and antibody fragments into the cytosol and nucleus of cells using trimeric cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). Four trimers, based on linear and cyclic sequences of the archetypal CPP Tat, are significantly more potent than monomers and can be tuned to function by direct interaction with the plasma membrane or escape from vesicle-like bodies. These studies identify a tricyclic Tat construct that enables intracellular delivery of functional immunoglobulin-G antibodies and Fab fragments that bind intracellular targets in the cytosol and nuclei of live cells at effective concentrations as low as 1 μM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole Tietz
- Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Rod Chalk
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sarah Able
- Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Katherine A Vallis
- Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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41
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Lv J, Wang H, Rong G, Cheng Y. Fluorination Promotes the Cytosolic Delivery of Genes, Proteins, and Peptides. Acc Chem Res 2022; 55:722-733. [PMID: 35175741 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The cytosolic delivery of biomolecules such as genes, proteins, and peptides is of great importance for biotherapy but usually limited by multiple barriers during the process. Cell membrane with high hydrophobic character is one of the representative biological barriers for cytosolic delivery. The introduction of hydrophobic ligands such as aliphatic lipids onto materials or biomolecules could improve their membrane permeability. However, these ligands are lipophilic and tend to interact with the phospholipids in the membrane as well as serum proteins, which may hinder efficient intracellular delivery. To solve this issue, our research group proposed the use of fluorous ligands with both hydrophobicity and lipophobicity as ideal alternatives to aliphatic lipids to promote cytosolic delivery.In our first attempt, fluorous ligands were conjugated onto cationic polymers to increase their gene delivery efficacy. The fluorination dramatically increased the gene delivery performance at low polymer doses. In addition, the strategy greatly improved the serum tolerance of cationic polymers, which is critical for efficient gene delivery in vivo. Besides serum tolerance, mechanism studies revealed that fluorination increases multiple steps such as cellular uptake and endosomal escape. Fluorination also allowed the assembly of low-molecular-weight polymers and achieved highly efficient gene delivery with minimal material toxicity. The method showed robust efficiency for polymers, including linear polymers, branched polymers, dendrimers, bola amphiphilies, and dendronized polymers.Besides gene delivery, fluorinated polymers were also used for intracellular protein delivery via a coassembly strategy. For this purpose, two lead fluoropolymers were screened from a library of amphiphilic materials. The fluoropolymers are greatly superior to their nonfluorinated analogues conjugated with aliphatic lipids. The fluorous lipids are beneficial for polymer assembly and protein encapsulation, reduced protein denaturation, facilitated endocytosis, and decreased polymer toxicity compared to nonfluorinated lipids. The materials exhibited potent efficacy in therapeutic protein and peptide delivery to achieve cancer therapy and were able to fabricate a personalized nanovaccine for cancer immunotherapy. Finally, the fluorous lipids were directly conjugated to peptides via a disulfide bond for cytosolic peptide delivery. Fluorous lipids drive the assembly of cargo peptides into uniform nanoparticles with much improved proteolytic stability and promote their delivery into various types of cells. The delivery efficacy of this strategy is greatly superior to traditional techniques such as cell-penetrating peptides both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, the fluorination techniques provide efficient and promising strategies for the cytosolic delivery of biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Lv
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, P. R. China
| | - Hui Wang
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, School of Molecular Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
| | - Guangyu Rong
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, School of Molecular Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
| | - Yiyun Cheng
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, P. R. China
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42
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Buyanova M, Pei D. Targeting intracellular protein-protein interactions with macrocyclic peptides. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2022; 43:234-248. [PMID: 34911657 PMCID: PMC8840965 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are challenging targets for traditional drug modalities. Macrocyclic peptides (MPs) prove highly effective PPI inhibitors in vitro and can be rapidly discovered against PPI targets by rational design or screening combinatorial libraries but are generally impermeable to the cell membrane. Recent advances in MP science and technology are allowing for the development of 'drug-like' MPs that potently and specifically modulate intracellular PPI targets in cell culture and animal models. In this review, we highlight recent progress in generating cell-permeable MPs that enter the mammalian cell by passive diffusion, endocytosis followed by endosomal escape, or as-yet unknown mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Buyanova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 484 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Dehua Pei
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 484 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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43
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Cheng Y, Borum RM, Clark AE, Jin Z, Moore C, Fajtová P, O'Donoghue AJ, Carlin AF, Jokerst JV. A Dual-Color Fluorescent Probe Allows Simultaneous Imaging of Main and Papain-like Proteases of SARS-CoV-2-Infected Cells for Accurate Detection and Rapid Inhibitor Screening. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202113617. [PMID: 34889013 PMCID: PMC8854376 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202113617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The main protease (Mpro ) and papain-like protease (PLpro ) play critical roles in SARS-CoV-2 replication and are promising targets for antiviral inhibitors. The simultaneous visualization of Mpro and PLpro is extremely valuable for SARS-CoV-2 detection and rapid inhibitor screening. However, such a crucial investigation has remained challenging because of the lack of suitable probes. We have now developed a dual-color probe (3MBP5) for the simultaneous detection of Mpro and PLpro by fluorescence (or Förster) resonance energy transfer (FRET). This probe produces fluorescence from both the Cy3 and Cy5 fluorophores that are cleaved by Mpro and PLpro . 3MBP5-activatable specificity was demonstrated with recombinant proteins, inhibitors, plasmid-transfected HEK 293T cells, and SARS-CoV-2-infected TMPRSS2-Vero cells. Results from the dual-color probe first verified the simultaneous detection and intracellular distribution of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and PLpro . This is a powerful tool for the simultaneous detection of different proteases with value for the rapid screening of inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Cheng
- Department of NanoEngineeringUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA 92093USA
| | - Raina M. Borum
- Department of NanoEngineeringUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA 92093USA
| | - Alex E. Clark
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA 92093USA
| | - Zhicheng Jin
- Department of NanoEngineeringUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA 92093USA
| | - Colman Moore
- Department of NanoEngineeringUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA 92093USA
| | - Pavla Fajtová
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA 92093USA
| | - Anthony J. O'Donoghue
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA 92093USA
| | - Aaron F. Carlin
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA 92093USA
| | - Jesse V. Jokerst
- Department of NanoEngineeringUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA 92093USA
- Materials Science and Engineering ProgramUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA 92093USA
- Department of RadiologyUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA 92093USA
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44
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Cheng Y, Borum RM, Clark AE, Jin Z, Moore C, Fajtová P, O'Donoghue AJ, Carlin AF, Jokerst JV. A Dual‐Color Fluorescent Probe Allows Simultaneous Imaging of Main and Papain‐like Proteases of SARS‐CoV‐2‐Infected Cells for Accurate Detection and Rapid Inhibitor Screening. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202113617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yong Cheng
- Department of NanoEngineering University of California, San Diego La Jolla CA 92093 USA
| | - Raina M. Borum
- Department of NanoEngineering University of California, San Diego La Jolla CA 92093 USA
| | - Alex E. Clark
- Department of Medicine University of California, San Diego La Jolla CA 92093 USA
| | - Zhicheng Jin
- Department of NanoEngineering University of California, San Diego La Jolla CA 92093 USA
| | - Colman Moore
- Department of NanoEngineering University of California, San Diego La Jolla CA 92093 USA
| | - Pavla Fajtová
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences University of California, San Diego La Jolla CA 92093 USA
| | - Anthony J. O'Donoghue
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences University of California, San Diego La Jolla CA 92093 USA
| | - Aaron F. Carlin
- Department of Medicine University of California, San Diego La Jolla CA 92093 USA
| | - Jesse V. Jokerst
- Department of NanoEngineering University of California, San Diego La Jolla CA 92093 USA
- Materials Science and Engineering Program University of California, San Diego La Jolla CA 92093 USA
- Department of Radiology University of California, San Diego La Jolla CA 92093 USA
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45
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Salim H, Pei D. Assessing the Cellular Uptake, Endosomal Escape, and Cytosolic Entry Efficiencies of Cyclic Peptides. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2371:301-316. [PMID: 34596855 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1689-5_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular biologics such as cyclic peptides are an emerging class of macromolecular drugs that are either intrinsically cell permeable or can be effectively delivered into the cell interior to modulate the activity of previously intractable drug targets. They generally enter the mammalian cell by endocytosis mechanisms and are initially localized inside the endosomes. They subsequently escape from the endosomes (and/or lysosomes) into the cytosol with varying efficiencies. In this chapter, we provide the detailed protocol for a flow cytometry-based assay method to quantitate the overall cellular uptake, endosomal escape, and cytosolic entry efficiencies of biomolecules (e.g., linear and cyclic peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids), by using cell-penetrating peptides as an example. The scope of applicability, strengths, and weaknesses of this assay are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heba Salim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Dehua Pei
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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46
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Monsarrat C, Compain G, André C, Engilberge S, Martiel I, Oliéric V, Wolff P, Brillet K, Landolfo M, Silva da Veiga C, Wagner J, Guichard G, Burnouf DY. Iterative Structure-Based Optimization of Short Peptides Targeting the Bacterial Sliding Clamp. J Med Chem 2021; 64:17063-17078. [PMID: 34806883 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The bacterial DNA sliding clamp (SC), or replication processivity factor, is a promising target for the development of novel antibiotics. We report a structure-activity relationship study of a new series of peptides interacting within the Escherichia coli SC (EcSC) binding pocket. Various modifications were explored including N-alkylation of the peptide bonds, extension of the N-terminal moiety, and introduction of hydrophobic and constrained residues at the C-terminus. In each category, single modifications were identified that increased affinity to EcSC. A combination of such modifications yielded in several cases to a substantially increased affinity compared to the parent peptides with Kd in the range of 30-80 nM. X-ray structure analysis of 11 peptide/EcSC co-crystals revealed new interactions at the peptide-protein interface (i.e., stacking interactions, hydrogen bonds, and hydrophobic contacts) that can account for the improved binding. Several compounds among the best binders were also found to be more effective in inhibiting SC-dependent DNA synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Monsarrat
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, 2 rue Robert Escarpit, F-33607 Pessac, France
| | - Guillaume Compain
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, 2 rue Robert Escarpit, F-33607 Pessac, France
| | - Christophe André
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, 2 rue Robert Escarpit, F-33607 Pessac, France
| | - Sylvain Engilberge
- Swiss Light Source (SLS), Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Forschungstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Martiel
- Swiss Light Source (SLS), Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Forschungstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Oliéric
- Swiss Light Source (SLS), Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Forschungstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Wolff
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR 9002, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, 2 rue Conrad Roentgen, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Karl Brillet
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR 9002, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, 2 rue Conrad Roentgen, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Marie Landolfo
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR 9002, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, 2 rue Conrad Roentgen, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Cyrielle Silva da Veiga
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR 9002, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, 2 rue Conrad Roentgen, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jérôme Wagner
- Biotechnologie et Signalisation Cellulaire, UMR 7242 CNRS/Université de Strasbourg, ESBS, 300 Boulevard Sébastien Brant, 67412 Illkirch, France
| | - Gilles Guichard
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, 2 rue Robert Escarpit, F-33607 Pessac, France
| | - Dominique Y Burnouf
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, UPR 9002, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, 2 rue Conrad Roentgen, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
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47
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Ren L, Gao Y, Cheng Y. A manganese (II)-based coordinative dendrimer with robust efficiency in intracellular peptide delivery. Bioact Mater 2021; 9:44-53. [PMID: 34820554 PMCID: PMC8586439 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2021.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptides have gained increasing interests as drug candidates in modern pharmaceutical industry, however, the development of peptide drugs acting on intracellular targets is limited due to their membrane impermeability. Here, we reported the use of metal-terpyridine based coordinative dendrimer for cytosolic peptide delivery. Among the investigated transition metal ions, Mn2+-coordinated polymer showed the highest delivery efficiency due to balanced peptide binding and release. It showed robust efficiency in the delivery of peptides with different charge property and hydrophobicity into various primary cells. The efficiency of Mn2+-terpyridine based polymer is superior to cell penetrating peptides such as oligoarginines. The material also delivered an autophagy-inducing peptide derived from Beclin-1 into cells and efficiently induced autophagy in the cells. This study provides a promising alternative to cell penetrating peptides for cytosolic peptide delivery. A Mn2+/terpyridine based polymer is rationally designed for cytosolic peptide delivery. The polymer shows robust efficiency in the delivery of 22 peptides with different properties into various primary cells. The polymer delivers an autophagy-inducing peptide derived from Beclin-1 into cells and efficiently induces autophagy. This study provides a promising alternative to cell penetrating peptides for cytosolic peptide delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanfang Ren
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yang Gao
- College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Yiyun Cheng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
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48
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Haberman VA, Fleming SR, Leisner TM, Puhl AC, Feng E, Xie L, Chen X, Goto Y, Suga H, Parise LV, Kireev D, Pearce KH, Bowers AA. Discovery and Development of Cyclic Peptide Inhibitors of CIB1. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:1832-1839. [PMID: 34795874 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium and integrin binding protein 1 (CIB1) is a small, intracellular protein recently implicated in survival and proliferation of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Considering its interactions with PAK1 and downstream signaling, CIB1 has been suggested as a potential therapeutic target in TNBC. As such, CIB1 has been the focus of inhibitor discovery efforts. To overcome issues of potency and stability in previously reported CIB1 inhibitors, we deploy mRNA display to discover new cyclic peptide inhibitors with improved biophysical properties and cellular activity. We advance UNC10245131, a cyclic peptide with low nanomolar affinity and good selectivity for CIB1 over other EF-hand domain proteins and improved permeability and stability over previously identified linear peptide inhibitor UNC10245092. Unlike UNC10245092, UNC10245131 lacks cytotoxicity and does not affect downstream signaling. Despite this, UNC10245131 is a potent ligand that could aid in clarifying roles of CIB1 in TNBC survival and proliferation and other CIB1-associated biological phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria A. Haberman
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Steven R. Fleming
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Tina M. Leisner
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Ana C. Puhl
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Emerald Feng
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Ling Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Xian Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Yuki Goto
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- JST, PRESTO, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- JST, CREST, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Leslie V. Parise
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Dmitri Kireev
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Kenneth H. Pearce
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Albert A. Bowers
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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49
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Hirai Y, Hirose H, Imanishi M, Asai T, Futaki S. Cytosolic protein delivery using pH-responsive, charge-reversible lipid nanoparticles. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19896. [PMID: 34615928 PMCID: PMC8494842 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99180-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Although proteins have attractive features as biopharmaceuticals, the difficulty in delivering them into the cell interior limits their applicability. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are a promising class of delivery vehicles. When designing a protein delivery system based on LNPs, the major challenges include: (i) formulation of LNPs with defined particle sizes and dispersity, (ii) efficient encapsulation of cargo proteins into LNPs, and (iii) effective cellular uptake and endosomal release into the cytosol. Dioleoylglycerophosphate-diethylenediamine (DOP-DEDA) is a pH-responsive, charge-reversible lipid. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of DOP-DEDA-based LNPs for intracellular protein delivery. Considering the importance of electrostatic interactions in protein encapsulation into LNPs, a negatively charged green fluorescent protein (GFP) analog was successfully encapsulated into DOP-DEDA-based LNPs to yield diameters and polydispersity index of < 200 nm and < 0.2, respectively. Moreover, ~ 80% of the cargo proteins was encapsulated into the LNPs. Cytosolic distribution of fluorescent signals of the protein was observed for up to ~ 90% cells treated with the LNPs, indicating the facilitated endocytic uptake and endosomal escape of the cargo attained using the LNP system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Hirai
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
| | - Hisaaki Hirose
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
| | - Miki Imanishi
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Asai
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka, 422-8526, Japan.
| | - Shiroh Futaki
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan.
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50
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Different Approaches to Cyclize a Cell-Penetrating Peptide and to Tether Bioactive Payloads. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2371:375-389. [PMID: 34596859 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1689-5_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are versatile tools to deliver various molecules into different cell types. The majority of CPPs are usually represented by linear structures, but numerous recent studies demonstrated cyclization to be an effective strategy leading to favorable biological activities. Here we describe two different methods for the side chain and backbone cyclization of CPPs . Furthermore, we highlight straightforward procedures for the covalent coupling of fluorophores or cytotoxic payloads.
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