1
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Rosa E, Di Gregorio E, Ferrauto G, Diaferia C, Gallo E, Terreno E, Accardo A. Hybrid PNA-peptide hydrogels as injectable CEST-MRI agents. J Mater Chem B 2024; 12:6371-6383. [PMID: 38864345 DOI: 10.1039/d4tb00358f] [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: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
The self-assembly of peptides and peptide analogues may be exploited to develop platforms for different biomedical applications, among which CEST-MRI (chemical exchange saturation transfer magnetic resonance imaging) represents one of the most attractive techniques to be explored as a novel metal-free contrast approach in imaging acquisitions. A lysine-containing peptide sequence (LIVAGK-NH2, named K2) was thus modified by insertion, at the N-terminus, of a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) base, leading to a primary amine suitable for the signal generation. a-K2, c-K2, g-K2 and t-K2 peptides were synthesized and characterized. The c-K2 sequence displayed gelling properties and the Watson and Crick pairing, arising from its combination with g-K2, allowed a significant increase in the mechanical responsivity of the hydrogel. These matrices were able to generate a CEST signal around 2.5 ppm from water and, after assessing their cytocompatibility on GL261 (murine glioma), TS/a (murine breast carcinoma), and 3T3-NIH (murine fibroblasts) cell lines, their capability to work as implants for in vivo detection, was proved by intratumor injection in Balb/c mice inoculated with TS/a murine breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Rosa
- Department of Pharmacy and Interuniversity Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB) "Carlo Pedone", University of Naples "Federico II", Via D. Montesano 49, Naples 80131, Italy.
| | - Enza Di Gregorio
- Molecular and Preclinical Imaging Center, Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Via Nizza 52, Turin, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Ferrauto
- Molecular and Preclinical Imaging Center, Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Via Nizza 52, Turin, Italy.
| | - Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy and Interuniversity Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB) "Carlo Pedone", University of Naples "Federico II", Via D. Montesano 49, Naples 80131, Italy.
| | - Enrico Gallo
- IRCCS Synlab SDN, Via Gianturco 113, Naples, 80143, Italy
| | - Enzo Terreno
- Molecular and Preclinical Imaging Center, Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Via Nizza 52, Turin, Italy.
| | - Antonella Accardo
- Department of Pharmacy and Interuniversity Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB) "Carlo Pedone", University of Naples "Federico II", Via D. Montesano 49, Naples 80131, Italy.
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2
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Cimmino L, Diaferia C, Rosa M, Morelli G, Rosa E, Accardo A. Hybrid peptide-PNA monomers as building blocks for the fabrication of supramolecular aggregates. J Pept Sci 2024; 30:e3573. [PMID: 38471735 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3573] [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: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Advantages like biocompatibility, biodegradability and tunability allowed the exploitation of peptides and peptidomimetics as versatile therapeutic or diagnostic agents. Because of their selectivity towards transmembrane receptors or cell membranes, peptides have also been identified as suitable molecules able to deliver in vivo macromolecules, proteins or nucleic acids. However, after the identification of the homodimer diphenylalanine (FF) as an aggregative motif inside the Aβ1-42 polypeptide, short and ultrashort peptides have been studied as building blocks for the fabrication of supramolecular, ordered nanostructures for applications in biotechnological, biomedical and industrial fields. In this perspective, many hybrid molecules that combine FF with other chemical entities have been synthesized and characterized. Two novel hybrid derivatives (tFaF and cFgF), in which the FF homodimer is alternated with the peptide-nucleic acid (PNA) heterodimer "g-c" (guanine-cytosine) or "a-t" (adenine-thymine) and their dimeric forms (tFaF)2 and (cFgF)2 were synthesized. The structural characterization performed by circular dichroism (CD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and fluorescence spectroscopies highlighted the capability of all the FF-PNA derivatives to self-assemble into β-sheet structures. As a consequence of this supramolecular organization, the resulting aggregates also exhibit optoelectronic properties already reported for other similar nanostructures. This photoemissive behavior is promising for their potential applications in bioimaging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy and CIRPeB, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides "Carlo Pedone", University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Mariangela Rosa
- Department of Pharmacy and CIRPeB, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides "Carlo Pedone", University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Morelli
- Department of Pharmacy and CIRPeB, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides "Carlo Pedone", University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Rosa
- Department of Pharmacy and CIRPeB, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides "Carlo Pedone", University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Antonella Accardo
- Department of Pharmacy and CIRPeB, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides "Carlo Pedone", University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
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3
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Pirovano V, Brini P, Brambilla E, Gelmi ML, Romanelli A. Au(I) complexes installed on a self-assembled peptide efficiently catalyze intramolecular cyclization reactions. J Pept Sci 2024:e3630. [PMID: 38943521 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3630] [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: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Self-assembled peptides are used for diverse applications in the biomedical and technological fields. The morphology and function of the assembled systems are dictated by the peptide sequence and length. In this work, a supramolecular catalyst was obtained upon self-assembly of the diphenylalanine peptide conjugated to a triphenylphosphine Au(I) complex in acetonitrile. The assembled molecules were characterized by spectroscopic techniques and by scanning electron microscopy. The activity of the catalyst was tested on two substrates in cyclization reactions. The morphology and the dimensions of the assembled systems vary depending on the presence of a carboxyl versus an amide C-terminal end. The catalyst efficiently promotes intramolecular cyclization reactions. Results obtained encourage the use of self-assembled peptides for the obtainment of new and efficient catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Pirovano
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Patrizia Brini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Brambilla
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Gelmi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Romanelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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4
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Sarkar S. Recent advancements in bionanomaterial applications of peptide nucleic acid assemblies. Biopolymers 2024; 115:e23567. [PMID: 37792292 DOI: 10.1002/bip.23567] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) is a unique combination of peptides and nucleic acids. PNA can exhibit hydrogen bonding interactions with complementary nucleobases like DNA/RNA. Also, its polyamide backbone allows easy incorporation of biomolecules like peptides and proteins to build hybrid molecular constructs. Because of chimeric structural properties, PNA has lots of potential to build diverse nanostructures. However, progress in the PNA material field is still immature compared with its massive applications in antisense oligonucleotide research. Examples of well-defined molecular assemblies have been reported with PNA amphiphiles, self-assembling guanine-PNA monomers/dimers, and PNA-decorated nucleic acids/ polymers/ peptides. All these works indicate the great potential of PNA to be used as bionanomaterials. The review summarizes the recent reports on PNA-based nanostructures and their versatile applications. Additionally, this review shares a perspective to promote a better understanding of controlling molecular assembly by the systematic structural modifications of PNA monomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srijani Sarkar
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland, USA
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5
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Mosseri A, Sancho-Albero M, Mercurio FA, Leone M, De Cola L, Romanelli A. Tryptophan-PNA gc Conjugates Self-Assemble to Form Fibers. Bioconjug Chem 2023; 34:1429-1438. [PMID: 37486977 PMCID: PMC10436247 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acids and their conjugates to peptides can self-assemble and generate complex architectures. In this work, we explored the self-assembly of PNA dimers conjugated to the dipeptide WW. Our studies suggest that the indole ring of tryptophan promotes aggregation of the conjugates. The onset of fluorescence is observed upon self-assembly. The structure of self-assembled WWgc is concentration-dependent, being spherical at low concentrations and fibrous at high concentrations. As suggested by molecular modeling studies, fibers are stabilized by stacking interactions between tryptophans and Watson-Crick hydrogen bonds between nucleobases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Mosseri
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università
Degli Studi di Milano, via Venezian 21, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - María Sancho-Albero
- Department
of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milano, Italy
| | - Flavia Anna Mercurio
- Istituto
di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini—CNR, via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Marilisa Leone
- Istituto
di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini—CNR, via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Luisa De Cola
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università
Degli Studi di Milano, via Venezian 21, 20133 Milano, Italy
- Department
of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Romanelli
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università
Degli Studi di Milano, via Venezian 21, 20133 Milano, Italy
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6
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Balasco N, Diaferia C, Rosa E, Monti A, Ruvo M, Doti N, Vitagliano L. A Comprehensive Analysis of the Intrinsic Visible Fluorescence Emitted by Peptide/Protein Amyloid-like Assemblies. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098372. [PMID: 37176084 PMCID: PMC10178990 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid aggregation is a widespread process that involves proteins and peptides with different molecular complexity and amino acid composition. The structural motif (cross-β) underlying this supramolecular organization generates aggregates endowed with special mechanical and spectroscopic properties with huge implications in biomedical and technological fields, including emerging precision medicine. The puzzling ability of these assemblies to emit intrinsic and label-free fluorescence in regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as visible and even infrared, usually considered to be forbidden in the polypeptide chain, has attracted interest for its many implications in both basic and applied science. Despite the interest in this phenomenon, the physical basis of its origin is still poorly understood. To gain a global view of the available information on this phenomenon, we here provide an exhaustive survey of the current literature in which original data on this fluorescence have been reported. The emitting systems have been classified in terms of their molecular complexity, amino acid composition, and physical state. Information about the wavelength of the radiation used for the excitation as well as the emission range/peak has also been retrieved. The data collected here provide a picture of the complexity of this multifaceted phenomenon that could be helpful for future studies aimed at defining its structural and electronic basis and/or stimulating new applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Balasco
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council (CNR), Department of Chemistry, University of Rome Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy and CIRPeB, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides "Carlo Pedone", University of Naples "Federico II", Via Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Rosa
- Department of Pharmacy and CIRPeB, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides "Carlo Pedone", University of Naples "Federico II", Via Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandra Monti
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council (CNR), 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Menotti Ruvo
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council (CNR), 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Nunzianna Doti
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council (CNR), 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Luigi Vitagliano
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council (CNR), 80131 Napoli, Italy
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7
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Mosseri A, Sancho‐Albero M, Leone M, Nava D, Secundo F, Maggioni D, De Cola L, Romanelli A. Chiral Fibers Formation Upon Assembly of Tetraphenylalanine Peptide Conjugated to a PNA Dimer. Chemistry 2022; 28:e202200693. [PMID: 35474351 PMCID: PMC9325372 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202200693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Self‐assembly of biomolecules such as peptides, nucleic acids or their analogues affords supramolecular objects, exhibiting structures and physical properties dependent on the amino‐acid or nucleobase composition. Conjugation of the peptide diphenylalanine (FF) to peptide nucleic acids triggers formation of self‐assembled structures, mainly stabilized by interactions between FF. In this work we report formation of homogeneous chiral fibers upon self‐assembly of the hybrid composed of the tetraphenylalanine peptide (4F) conjugated to the PNA dimer adenine‐thymine (at). In this case nucleobases seem to play a key role in determining the morphology and chirality of the fibers. When the PNA “at” is replaced by guanine‐cytosine dimer “gc”, disordered structures are observed. Spectroscopic characterization of the self‐assembled hybrids, along with AFM and SEM studies is reported. Finally, a structural model consistent with the experimental evidence has also been obtained, showing how the building blocks of 4Fat arrange to give helical fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Mosseri
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche Università degli Studi di Milano via Venezian 21 20133 Milano Italy
| | - Maria Sancho‐Albero
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS 20156 Milano Italy
| | - Marilisa Leone
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini – CNR via Mezzocannone 16 80134 Naples Italy
| | - Donatella Nava
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche Università degli Studi di Milano via Venezian 21 20133 Milano Italy
| | - Francesco Secundo
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta”, CNR via Mario Bianco 9 Milan 20131 Italy
| | - Daniela Maggioni
- Dipartimento di Chimica Università degli Studi di Milano Via Golgi 19 20133 Milano Italy
| | - Luisa De Cola
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche Università degli Studi di Milano via Venezian 21 20133 Milano Italy
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS 20156 Milano Italy
| | - Alessandra Romanelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche Università degli Studi di Milano via Venezian 21 20133 Milano Italy
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8
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Rosa E, Diaferia C, Gianolio E, Sibillano T, Gallo E, Smaldone G, Stornaiuolo M, Giannini C, Morelli G, Accardo A. Multicomponent Hydrogel Matrices of Fmoc-FF and Cationic Peptides for Application in Tissue Engineering. Macromol Biosci 2022; 22:e2200128. [PMID: 35524744 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202200128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
In the last years, peptide based hydrogels are being increasingly used as suitable matrices for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications, including drug delivery and tissue engineering. Recently, we decrived the synthesis and the gelation properties of a small library of cationic peptides, containing a Lys residue at the C-teminus and derivatized with a Fmoc group or with the Fmoc-diphenylalanine (FmocFF) at the N-terminus. Here, we demonstrate that the combination of these peptides with the well known hydrogelator FmocFF, in different weight/weight ratios, allows the achievement of seven novel self-sorted hydrogels, which share similar peptide organization of their supramolecular matrix. Rheological and relaxometric characterization highlighted a different mechanical rigidity and water mobility in the gels as demostrated by the storage modulus values (200 Pa<G'<35000 Pa) and by relaxometry, respectively. In vitro studied demonstrated that most of the tested mixed hydrogels do not disturb significantly the cell viability (>95%) over 72h of treatment. Moreover, in virtue to its capability to strongly favour adhesion, spreading and duplication of 3T3-L1 cells, one of the tested hydrogel may be eligible as sinthetic extracellular matrix. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Rosa
- Department of Pharmacy and Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, Naples, 80134, Italy
| | - Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy and Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, Naples, 80134, Italy
| | - Eliana Gianolio
- Department of Molecular Biotechnologies and Health Science, University of Turin, Via Nizza 52, Turin, 10125, Italy
| | - Teresa Sibillano
- Institute of Crystallography (IC), CNR, Via Amendola 122, Bari, 70126, Italy
| | - Enrico Gallo
- IRCCS Synlab SDN, Via E. Gianturco 113, Naples, 80143, Italy
| | | | - Mariano Stornaiuolo
- Department of Pharmacy and Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, Naples, 80134, Italy
| | - Cinzia Giannini
- Institute of Crystallography (IC), CNR, Via Amendola 122, Bari, 70126, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Morelli
- Department of Pharmacy and Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, Naples, 80134, Italy
| | - Antonella Accardo
- Department of Pharmacy and Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, Naples, 80134, Italy
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9
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Giraud T, Hoschtettler P, Pickaert G, Averlant-Petit MC, Stefan L. Emerging low-molecular weight nucleopeptide-based hydrogels: state of the art, applications, challenges and perspectives. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:4908-4921. [PMID: 35319034 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr06131c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Over the last twenty years, low-molecular weight gelators and, in particular, peptide-based hydrogels, have drawn great attention from scientists thanks to both their inherent advantages in terms of properties and their high modularity (e.g., number and nature of the amino acids). These supramolecular hydrogels originate from specific peptide self-assembly processes that can be driven, modulated and optimized via specific chemical modifications brought to the peptide sequence. Among them, the incorporation of nucleobases, another class of biomolecules well-known for their abilities to self-assemble, has recently appeared as a new promising and burgeoning approach to finely design supramolecular hydrogels. In this minireview, we would like to highlight the interest, high potential, applications and perspectives of these innovative and emerging low-molecular weight nucleopeptide-based hydrogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Giraud
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LCPM, F-54000 Nancy, France.
| | | | | | | | - Loic Stefan
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LCPM, F-54000 Nancy, France.
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10
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Novel insights on nucleopeptide binding: A spectroscopic and in silico investigation on the interaction of a thymine-bearing tetrapeptide with a homoadenine DNA. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2021.117975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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11
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Diaferia C, Avitabile C, Leone M, Gallo E, Saviano M, Accardo A, Romanelli A. Diphenylalanine Motif Drives Self-Assembling in Hybrid PNA-Peptide Conjugates. Chemistry 2021; 27:14307-14316. [PMID: 34314536 PMCID: PMC8597081 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202102481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Peptides and nucleic acids can self-assemble to give supramolecular structures that find application in different fields, ranging from the delivery of drugs to the obtainment of materials endowed with optical properties. Forces that stabilize the "suprastructures" typically are hydrogen bonds or aromatic interactions; in case of nucleic acids, Watson-Crick pairing drives self-assembly while, in case of peptides, backbone hydrogen bonds and interactions between aromatic side chains trigger the formation of structures, such as nanotubes or ribbons. Molecules containing both aromatic peptides and nucleic acids could in principle exploit different forces to self-assemble. In this work we meant to investigate the self-assembly of mixed systems, with the aim to understand which forces play a major role and determine formation/structure of aggregates. We therefore synthesized conjugates of the peptide FF to the peptide nucleic acid dimer "gc" and characterized their aggregates by different spectroscopic techniques, including NMR, CD and fluorescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Diaferia
- Department of PharmacyResearch Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB)University of Naples “Federico II”Via Mezzocannone 1680134NaplesItaly
| | | | - Marilisa Leone
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (CNR)Via Mezzocannone 1680134NaplesItaly
| | | | - Michele Saviano
- Institute of Crystallography (CNR)Via Amendola 12270126BariItaly
| | - Antonella Accardo
- Department of PharmacyResearch Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB)University of Naples “Federico II”Via Mezzocannone 1680134NaplesItaly
| | - Alessandra Romanelli
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of MilanVia Venezian 2120133MilanItaly
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12
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Synthesis, Characterization and Evaluation of Peptide Nanostructures for Biomedical Applications. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26154587. [PMID: 34361740 PMCID: PMC8348434 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26154587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a challenging need for the development of new alternative nanostructures that can allow the coupling and/or encapsulation of therapeutic/diagnostic molecules while reducing their toxicity and improving their circulation and in-vivo targeting. Among the new materials using natural building blocks, peptides have attracted significant interest because of their simple structure, relative chemical and physical stability, diversity of sequences and forms, their easy functionalization with (bio)molecules and the possibility of synthesizing them in large quantities. A number of them have the ability to self-assemble into nanotubes, -spheres, -vesicles or -rods under mild conditions, which opens up new applications in biology and nanomedicine due to their intrinsic biocompatibility and biodegradability as well as their surface chemical reactivity via amino- and carboxyl groups. In order to obtain nanostructures suitable for biomedical applications, the structure, size, shape and surface chemistry of these nanoplatforms must be optimized. These properties depend directly on the nature and sequence of the amino acids that constitute them. It is therefore essential to control the order in which the amino acids are introduced during the synthesis of short peptide chains and to evaluate their in-vitro and in-vivo physico-chemical properties before testing them for biomedical applications. This review therefore focuses on the synthesis, functionalization and characterization of peptide sequences that can self-assemble to form nanostructures. The synthesis in batch or with new continuous flow and microflow techniques will be described and compared in terms of amino acids sequence, purification processes, functionalization or encapsulation of targeting ligands, imaging probes as well as therapeutic molecules. Their chemical and biological characterization will be presented to evaluate their purity, toxicity, biocompatibility and biodistribution, and some therapeutic properties in vitro and in vivo. Finally, their main applications in the biomedical field will be presented so as to highlight their importance and advantages over classical nanostructures.
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13
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Giraud T, Bouguet-Bonnet S, Stébé MJ, Richaudeau L, Pickaert G, Averlant-Petit MC, Stefan L. Co-assembly and multicomponent hydrogel formation upon mixing nucleobase-containing peptides. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:10566-10578. [PMID: 34100504 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr02417e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Peptide-based hydrogels are physical gels formed through specific supramolecular self-assembling processes, leading to ordered nanostructures which constitute the water entrapping scaffold of the soft material. Thanks to the inherent properties of peptides, these hydrogels are highly considered in the biomedical domain and open new horizons in terms of application in advanced therapies and biotechnologies. The use of one, and only one, native peptide to formulate a gel is by far the most reported approach to design such materials, but suffers from several limitations, including in terms of mechanical properties. To improve peptide-based hydrogels interest and give rise to innovative properties, several strategies have been proposed in the recent years, and the development of multicomponent peptide-based hydrogels appears as a promising and relevant strategy. Indeed, mixing two or more compounds to develop new materials is a much-used approach that has proven its effectiveness in a wide variety of domains, including polymers, composites and alloys. While still limited to a handful of examples, we would like to report herein on the formulation and the comprehensive study of multicomponent hybrid DNA-nucleobase/peptide-based hydrogels using a multiscale approach based on a large panel of analytical techniques (i.e., rheometry, proton relaxometry, SAXS, electronic microscopy, infrared, circular dichroism, fluorescence, Thioflavin T assays). Among the six multicomponent systems studied, the results highlight the synergistic role of the presence of the two complementary DNA-nucleobases (i.e., adenine/thymine and guanine/cytosine) on the co-assembling process from structural (e.g., morphology of the nanoobjects) to physicochemical (e.g., kinetics of formation, fluorescence properties) and mechanical (e.g., stiffness, resistance to external stress) properties. All the data confirm the relevance of the multicomponent peptide-based approach in the design of innovative hydrogels and bring another brick in the wall of the understanding of these complex and promising systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Giraud
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LCPM, F-54000 Nancy, France.
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Loic Stefan
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LCPM, F-54000 Nancy, France.
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Liang X, Liu M, Komiyama M. Recognition of Target Site in Various Forms of DNA and RNA by Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA): From Fundamentals to Practical Applications. BULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN 2021. [DOI: 10.1246/bcsj.20210086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xingguo Liang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, P. R. China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts of Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266235, P. R. China
| | - Mengqin Liu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, P. R. China
| | - Makoto Komiyama
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, P. R. China
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15
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Scognamiglio PL, Platella C, Napolitano E, Musumeci D, Roviello GN. From Prebiotic Chemistry to Supramolecular Biomedical Materials: Exploring the Properties of Self-Assembling Nucleobase-Containing Peptides. Molecules 2021; 26:3558. [PMID: 34200901 PMCID: PMC8230524 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26123558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptides and their synthetic analogs are a class of molecules with enormous relevance as therapeutics for their ability to interact with biomacromolecules like nucleic acids and proteins, potentially interfering with biological pathways often involved in the onset and progression of pathologies of high social impact. Nucleobase-bearing peptides (nucleopeptides) and pseudopeptides (PNAs) offer further interesting possibilities related to their nucleobase-decorated nature for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, thanks to their reported ability to target complementary DNA and RNA strands. In addition, these chimeric compounds are endowed with intriguing self-assembling properties, which are at the heart of their investigation as self-replicating materials in prebiotic chemistry, as well as their application as constituents of innovative drug delivery systems and, more generally, as novel nanomaterials to be employed in biomedicine. Herein we describe the properties of nucleopeptides, PNAs and related supramolecular systems, and summarize some of the most relevant applications of these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chiara Platella
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.P.); (E.N.); (D.M.)
| | - Ettore Napolitano
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.P.); (E.N.); (D.M.)
| | - Domenica Musumeci
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.P.); (E.N.); (D.M.)
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini IBB-CNR, via Tommaso De Amicis 95, I-80145 Naples, Italy
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16
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Contini A, Erba E, Bondavalli V, Barbiroli A, Gelmi ML, Romanelli A. Morpholino-based peptide oligomers: Synthesis and DNA binding properties. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 549:8-13. [PMID: 33652207 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.02.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The chemical structure of oligonucleotide analogues dictates the conformation of oligonucleotide analogue oligomers, their ability to hybridize complementary DNA and RNA, their stability to degradation and their pharmacokinetic properties. In a study aimed at investigating new analogues featuring a neutral backbone, we explored the ability of oligomers containing a morpholino-peptide backbone to bind oligonucleotides. Circular Dichroism studies revealed the ability of our oligomers to interact with DNA, molecular modelling studies revealed the interaction responsible for complex stabilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Contini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Emanuela Erba
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Valeria Bondavalli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Alberto Barbiroli
- DeFENS - Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Gelmi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Romanelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
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17
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Diaferia C, Rosa E, Accardo A, Morelli G. Peptide-based hydrogels as delivery systems for doxorubicin. J Pept Sci 2021; 28:e3301. [PMID: 33491262 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogels (HGs) and nanogels (NGs) have been recently identified as innovative supramolecular materials for many applications in biomedical field such as in tissue engineering, optoelectronic, and local delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Due to their in vivo biocompatibility, synthetic accessibility, low cost, and tunability, peptides have been used as suitable building blocks for preparation of HGs and NGs formulations. Peptide HGs have shown an outstanding potential to deliver small drugs, protein therapeutics, or diagnostic probes, maintaining the efficacy of their loaded molecules, preventing degradation phenomena, and responding to external physicochemical stimuli. In this review, we discuss the possible use of peptide-based HGs and NGs as vehicles for the delivery of the anticancer drug doxorubicin (Dox). This anthracycline is clinically used for leukemia, stomach, lung, ovarian, breast, and bladder cancer therapy. The loading of Dox into supramolecular systems (liposomes, micelles, hydrogels, and nanogels) allows reducing its cardiotoxicity. According to a primary sequence classification of the constituent peptide, doxorubicin-loaded systems are here classified in short and ultra-short peptide-based HGs, RGD, or RADA-peptide-based HGs and peptide-based NGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, 80134, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Rosa
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, 80134, Italy
| | - Antonella Accardo
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, 80134, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Morelli
- Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, 80134, Italy
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18
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Giraud T, Bouguet-Bonnet S, Marchal P, Pickaert G, Averlant-Petit MC, Stefan L. Improving and fine-tuning the properties of peptide-based hydrogels via incorporation of peptide nucleic acids. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:19905-19917. [PMID: 32985645 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr03483e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Peptide self-assemblies have attracted intense research interest over the last few decades thanks to their implications in key biological processes (e.g., amyloid formation) and their use in biotechnological and (bio)material fields. In particular, peptide-based hydrogels have been highly considered as high potential supramolecular materials in the biomedical domain and open new horizons in terms of applications. To further understand their self-assembly mechanisms and to optimize their properties, several strategies have been proposed with the modification of the constituting amino acid chains via, per se, the introduction of d-amino acids, halogenated amino acids, pseudopeptide bonds, or other chemical moieties. In this context, we report herein on the incorporation of DNA-nucleobases into their peptide nucleic acid (PNA) forms to develop a new series of hybrid nucleopeptides. Thus, depending on the nature of the nucleobase (i.e., thymine, cytosine, adenine or guanine), the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the resulting hydrogels can be significantly improved and fine-tuned with, for instance, drastic enhancements of both the gel stiffness (up to 70-fold) and the gel resistance to external stress (up to 40-fold), and the generation of both thermo-reversible and uncommon red-edge excitation shift (REES) properties. To decipher the actual role of each PNA moiety in the self-assembly processes, the induced modifications from the molecular to the macroscopic scales are studied thanks to the multiscale approach based on a large panel of analytical techniques (i.e., rheology, NMR relaxometry, TEM, thioflavin T assays, FTIR, CD, fluorescence, NMR chemical shift index). Thus, such a strategy provides new opportunities to adapt and fit hydrogel properties to the intended ones and pushes back the limits of supramolecular materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Giraud
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LCPM, F-54000 Nancy, France.
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Moura ECCM, Baeta T, Romanelli A, Laguri C, Martorana AM, Erba E, Simorre JP, Sperandeo P, Polissi A. Thanatin Impairs Lipopolysaccharide Transport Complex Assembly by Targeting LptC-LptA Interaction and Decreasing LptA Stability. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:909. [PMID: 32477309 PMCID: PMC7237710 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria is a highly selective permeability barrier due to its asymmetric structure with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer leaflet. In Escherichia coli, LPS is transported to the cell surface by the LPS transport (Lpt) system composed of seven essential proteins forming a transenvelope bridge. Transport is powered by the ABC transporter LptB2FGC, which extracts LPS from the inner membrane (IM) and transfers it, through LptC protein, to the periplasmic protein LptA. Then, LptA delivers LPS to the OM LptDE translocon for final assembly at the cell surface. The Lpt protein machinery operates as a single device, since depletion of any component leads to the accumulation of a modified LPS decorated with repeating units of colanic acid at the IM outer leaflet. Moreover, correct machine assembly is essential for LPS transit and disruption of the Lpt complex results in LptA degradation. Due to its vital role in cell physiology, the Lpt system represents a good target for antimicrobial drugs. Thanatin is a naturally occurring antimicrobial peptide reported to cause defects in membrane assembly and demonstrated in vitro to bind to the N-terminal β-strand of LptA. Since this region is involved in both LptA dimerization and interaction with LptC, we wanted to elucidate the mechanism of inhibition of thanatin and discriminate whether its antibacterial effect is exerted by the disruption of the interaction of LptA with itself or with LptC. For this purpose, we here implemented the Bacterial Adenylate Cyclase Two-Hybrid (BACTH) system to probe in vivo the Lpt interactome in the periplasm. With this system, we found that thanatin targets both LptC–LptA and LptA–LptA interactions, with a greater inhibitory effect on the former. We confirmed in vitro the disruption of LptC–LptA interaction using two different biophysical techniques. Finally, we observed that in cells treated with thanatin, LptA undergoes degradation and LPS decorated with colanic acid accumulates. These data further support inhibition or disruption of Lpt complex assembly as the main killing mechanism of thanatin against Gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabete C C M Moura
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Tiago Baeta
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France
| | - Alessandra Romanelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Cedric Laguri
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France
| | - Alessandra M Martorana
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuela Erba
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Paola Sperandeo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Polissi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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