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Yang T, Geng F, Tang X, Yu Z, Liu Y, Song B, Tang Z, Wang B, Ye B, Yu D, Zhang S. UV radiation-induced peptides in frog skin confer protection against cutaneous photodamage through suppressing MAPK signaling. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e625. [PMID: 38919335 PMCID: PMC11196897 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Overexposure to ultraviolet light (UV) has become a major dermatological problem since the intensity of ultraviolet radiation is increasing. As an adaption to outside environments, amphibians gained an excellent peptide-based defense system in their naked skin from secular evolution. Here, we first determined the adaptation and resistance of the dark-spotted frogs (Pelophylax nigromaculatus) to constant ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure. Subsequently, peptidomics of frog skin identified a series of novel peptides in response to UVB. These UV-induced frog skin peptides (UIFSPs) conferred significant protection against UVB-induced death and senescence in skin cells. Moreover, the protective effects of UIFSPs were boosted by coupling with the transcription trans-activating (TAT) protein transduction domain. In vivo, TAT-conjugated UIFSPs mitigated skin photodamage and accelerated wound healing. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that multiple pathways were modulated by TAT-conjugated UIFSPs, including small GTPase/Ras signaling and MAPK signaling. Importantly, pharmacological activation of MAPK kinases counteracted UIFSP-induced decrease in cell death after UVB exposure. Taken together, our findings provide evidence for the potential preventive and therapeutic significance of UIFSPs in UV-induced skin damage by antagonizing MAPK signaling pathways. In addition, these results suggest a practicable alternative in which potential therapeutic agents can be mined from organisms with a fascinating ability to adapt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingyi Yang
- Laboratory of Radiation MedicineWest China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic MedicineSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Fenghao Geng
- Laboratory of Radiation MedicineWest China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic MedicineSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Xiaoyou Tang
- Laboratory of Radiation MedicineWest China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic MedicineSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Medical College of Tibet University, Tibet UniversityLhasaChina
| | - Zuxiang Yu
- Laboratory of Radiation MedicineWest China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic MedicineSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yulan Liu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical CollegeChina National Nuclear Corporation 416 HospitalChengduChina
| | - Bin Song
- Laboratory of Radiation MedicineWest China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic MedicineSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Zhihui Tang
- Laboratory of Radiation MedicineWest China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic MedicineSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Baoning Wang
- Laboratory of Radiation MedicineWest China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic MedicineSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Bengui Ye
- Medical College of Tibet University, Tibet UniversityLhasaChina
| | - Daojiang Yu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical CollegeChina National Nuclear Corporation 416 HospitalChengduChina
| | - Shuyu Zhang
- Laboratory of Radiation MedicineWest China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic MedicineSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Medical College of Tibet University, Tibet UniversityLhasaChina
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical CollegeChina National Nuclear Corporation 416 HospitalChengduChina
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation (Mianyang Central Hospital)MianyangChina
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2
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Das P, N M, Singh N, Datta P. Supramolecular Nanostructures for the Delivery of Peptides in Cancer Therapy. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2024; 388:67-80. [PMID: 37827700 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.123.001698] [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: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Supramolecular nanostructured based delivery systems are emerging as a meaningful approach in the treatment of cancer, offering controlled drug release and improved therapeutic efficacy. The self-assembled structures can be small molecules, polymers, peptides, or proteins, which can be used and functionalized to achieve tailored release and target specific cells, tissues, or organs. These structures can improve the solubility and stability of drugs having low aqueous solubility by encapsulating and protecting them from degradation. Alongside, peptides as natural biomolecules have gained increasing attention as potential candidates in cancer treatment because of their biocompatibility, low cytotoxicity, and high specificity toward tumor cells. The amino acid sequences in peptide molecules are tunable, efficiently controlling the morphology of peptide-based self-assembled nanosystems and offering flexibility to form supramolecular nanostructures (SNs). It is evident from the current literature that the supramolecular nanostructures based delivery of peptide for cancer treatment hold great promise for future cancer therapy, offering potential strategies for personalized medicine with improved patient outcomes. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This review focuses on fundamentals and various drug delivery mechanisms based on SNs. Different SN approaches and recent literature reviews on peptide delivery are also presented to the readers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Das
- Polymer-Based Medical Devices and Complex Drug Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Kolkata, India
| | - Manasa N
- Polymer-Based Medical Devices and Complex Drug Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Kolkata, India
| | - Nidhi Singh
- Polymer-Based Medical Devices and Complex Drug Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Kolkata, India
| | - Pallab Datta
- Polymer-Based Medical Devices and Complex Drug Delivery Systems Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Kolkata, India
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Discovery of endosomalytic cell-penetrating peptides based on bacterial membrane-targeting sequences. Bioorg Chem 2023; 134:106424. [PMID: 36868126 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106424] [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: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are prominent scaffolds for drug developments and related research, particularly the endocytic delivery of biomacromolecules. Effective cargo release from endosomes prior to lysosomal degradation is a crucial step, where the rational design and selection of CPPs remains a challenge and calls for deeper mechanistic understandings. Here, we have investigated a strategy of designing CPPs that selectively disrupt endosomal membranes based on bacterial membrane targeting sequences (MTSs). Six synthesized MTS peptides all exhibit cell-penetrating abilities, among which two d-peptides (d-EcMTS and d-TpMTS) are able to escape from endosomes and localize at ER after entering the cell. The utility of this strategy has been demonstrated by the intracellular delivery of green fluorescent protein (GFP). Together, these results suggest that the large pool of bacterial MTSs may be a rich source for the development of novel CPPs.
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Choe S. Translocation of a single Arg[Formula: see text] peptide across a DOPC/DOPG(4:1) model membrane using the weighted ensemble method. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1168. [PMID: 36670187 PMCID: PMC9860060 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28493-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
It is difficult to observe a spontaneous translocation of cell-penetrating peptides(CPPs) within a short time scale (e.g., a few hundred ns) in all-atom molecular dynamics(MD) simulations because the time required for the translocation of usual CPPs is on the order of minutes or so. In this work, we report a spontaneous translocation of a single Arg[Formula: see text](R9) across a DOPC/DOPG(4:1) model membrane within an order of a few tens ns scale by using the weighted ensemble(WE) method. We identify how water molecules and the orientation of Arg[Formula: see text] play a role in translocation. We also show how lipid molecules are transported along with Arg[Formula: see text]. In addition, we present free energy profiles of the translocation across the membrane using umbrella sampling and show that a single Arg[Formula: see text] translocation is energetically unfavorable. We expect that the WE method can help study interactions of CPPs with various model membranes within MD simulation approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungho Choe
- Department of Energy Science & Engineering, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST), Daegu, 42988 South Korea
- Energy Science & Engineering Research Center, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST), Daegu, 42988 South Korea
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Is It Possible to Find an Antimicrobial Peptide That Passes the Membrane Bilayer with Minimal Force Resistance? An Attempt at a Predictive Approach by Molecular Dynamics Simulation. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23115997. [PMID: 35682676 PMCID: PMC9180591 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23115997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
There is still no answer to the mechanism of penetration of AMP peptides through the membrane bilayer. Several mechanisms for such a process have been proposed. It is necessary to understand whether it is possible, using the molecular dynamics method, to determine the ability of peptides of different compositions and lengths to pass through a membrane bilayer. To explain the passage of a peptide through a membrane bilayer, a method for preparing a membrane phospholipid bilayer was proposed, and 656 steered molecular dynamics calculations were carried out for pulling 7 amyloidogenic peptides with antimicrobial potential, and monopeptides (homo-repeats consisting of 10 residues of the same amino acid: Poly (Ala), Poly (Leu), Poly (Met), Poly (Arg), and Poly (Glu)) with various sequences through the membrane. Among the 15 studied peptides, the peptides exhibiting the least force resistance when passing through the bilayer were found, and the maximum reaction occurred at the boundary of the membrane bilayer entry. We found that the best correlation between the maximum membrane reaction force and the calculated parameters corresponds to the instability index (the correlation coefficient is above 0.9). One of the interesting results of this study is that the 10 residue amyloidogenic peptides and their extended peptides, with nine added residue cell-penetrating peptides and four residue linkers, both with established antimicrobial activity, have the same bilayer resistance force. All calculated data are summarized and posted on the server.
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Mucha P, Sikorska E, Rekowski P, Ruczyński J. Interaction of Arginine-Rich Cell-Penetrating Peptides with an Artificial Neuronal Membrane. Cells 2022; 11:cells11101638. [PMID: 35626677 PMCID: PMC9139471 DOI: 10.3390/cells11101638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptides (RRCPPs) exhibit intrinsic neuroprotective effects on neurons injured by acute ischemic stroke. Conformational properties, interaction, and the ability to penetrate the neural membrane are critical for the neuroprotective effects of RRCCPs. In this study, we applied circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CG MD) simulations to investigate the interactions of two RRCPPs, Tat(49–57)-NH2 (arginine-rich motif of Tat HIV-1 protein) and PTD4 (a less basic Ala-scan analog of the Tat peptide), with an artificial neuronal membrane (ANM). CD spectra showed that in an aqueous environment, such as phosphate-buffered saline, the peptides mostly adopted a random coil (PTD4) or a polyproline type II helical (Tat(49–57)-NH2) conformation. On the other hand, in the hydrophobic environment of the ANM liposomes, the peptides showed moderate conformational changes, especially around 200 nm, as indicated by CD curves. The changes induced by the liposomes were slightly more significant in the PTD4 peptide. However, the nature of the conformational changes could not be clearly defined. CG MD simulations showed that the peptides are quickly attracted to the neuronal lipid bilayer and bind preferentially to monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (DPG1) molecules. However, the peptides did not penetrate the membrane even at increasing concentrations. This suggests that the energy barrier required to break the strong peptide–lipid electrostatic interactions was not exceeded in the simulated models. The obtained results show a correlation between the potential of mean force parameter and a peptide’s cell membrane-penetrating ability and neuroprotective properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Mucha
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biologically Active Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland;
- Environmental Nucleic Acid Laboratory, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
- Correspondence: (P.M.); (J.R.); Tel.: +48-58-5235432 (P.M.); +48-58-5235235 (J.R.)
| | - Emilia Sikorska
- Laboratory of Structural Research of Biopolymers, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland;
| | - Piotr Rekowski
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biologically Active Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland;
- Environmental Nucleic Acid Laboratory, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Jarosław Ruczyński
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Biologically Active Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland;
- Correspondence: (P.M.); (J.R.); Tel.: +48-58-5235432 (P.M.); +48-58-5235235 (J.R.)
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Behzadi M, Eghtedardoost M, Bagheri M. Endocytosis Involved d-Oligopeptide of Tryptophan and Arginine Displays Ordered Nanostructures and Cancer Cell Stereoselective Toxicity by Autophagy. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:14928-14943. [PMID: 35319877 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c23846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Owing to their self-aggregation propensity and selective interaction with the anionic membranes, the peptides rich in tryptophan (Trp) and arginine (Arg) are considered for the development of novel anticancer therapeutics. However, the structural insights from the perspective of backbone chirality and spatial orientation of side chains into the selective toxicity of peptides are limited. Here, we investigated the selectivity and cellular uptake of HHC36, a Trp/Arg-rich nonapeptide, and its d-enantiomer (allDHHC36) and a retroinverso analogue in the lung A549 and breast MDA-MB-231 cancer cells. We realized that the d-peptides can specifically induce autophagy at nontoxic concentrations only in the A549 cells supported from the LC 3-II immunostaining expression in the vicinity of the nucleus and the ultrastructural analysis revealing the autophagosome formation. The autophagic flux was also remarkable in the cells exposed to d-peptides at a far lower concentration in synergism with doxorubicin (DOX). In marked contrast, nonselective cell death was observed only if a high amount of HHC36 was applied. HHC36 tended to irregular collagen-like fibrils relative to allDHHC36 that distinctly formed higher-order coiled nanostructures. Interestingly, the short d-peptide fragments were generated in a harsh oxidative condition. Compared with the direct membrane transduction of HHC36, the entry of d-peptides into the lung cancer cells was controlled by endocytosis through the contribution of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) and cholesterol (CHO). However, both l- and d-peptides feasibly crossed the membrane and localized inside the S-phase-arrested cell nucleus. This suggested the likelihood of peptide intercalation with DNA that might differently appear in selective and/or nonselective deaths. These results unraveled the d-handedness-selective toxicity of a self-assembling Trp/Arg-rich sequence that is dependent on the cell type from the aspects of the density of anionic charges and CHO in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane, as well as the intracellular redox imbalance that may drive the formation of toxic peptide nanostructure fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malihe Behzadi
- Peptide Chemistry Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, 16 Azar Street, 14176-14335 Tehran, Iran
| | - Marzieh Eghtedardoost
- Peptide Chemistry Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, 16 Azar Street, 14176-14335 Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Bagheri
- Peptide Chemistry Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, 16 Azar Street, 14176-14335 Tehran, Iran
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Choe S. Free Energy Analyses of Cell-Penetrating Peptides Using the Weighted Ensemble Method. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:membranes11120974. [PMID: 34940475 PMCID: PMC8706838 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11120974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have been widely used for drug-delivery agents; however, it has not been fully understood how they translocate across cell membranes. The Weighted Ensemble (WE) method, one of the most powerful and flexible path sampling techniques, can be helpful to reveal translocation paths and free energy barriers along those paths. Within the WE approach we show how Arg9 (nona-arginine) and Tat interact with a DOPC/DOPG(4:1) model membrane, and we present free energy (or potential mean of forces, PMFs) profiles of penetration, although a translocation across the membrane has not been observed in the current simulations. Two different compositions of lipid molecules were also tried and compared. Our approach can be applied to any CPPs interacting with various model membranes, and it will provide useful information regarding the transport mechanisms of CPPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungho Choe
- Department of Energy Science & Engineering, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea;
- Energy Science & Engineering Research Center, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea
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9
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King E, Aitchison E, Li H, Luo R. Recent Developments in Free Energy Calculations for Drug Discovery. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:712085. [PMID: 34458321 PMCID: PMC8387144 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.712085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The grand challenge in structure-based drug design is achieving accurate prediction of binding free energies. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations enable modeling of conformational changes critical to the binding process, leading to calculation of thermodynamic quantities involved in estimation of binding affinities. With recent advancements in computing capability and predictive accuracy, MD based virtual screening has progressed from the domain of theoretical attempts to real application in drug development. Approaches including the Molecular Mechanics Poisson Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA), Linear Interaction Energy (LIE), and alchemical methods have been broadly applied to model molecular recognition for drug discovery and lead optimization. Here we review the varied methodology of these approaches, developments enhancing simulation efficiency and reliability, remaining challenges hindering predictive performance, and applications to problems in the fields of medicine and biochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward King
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Erick Aitchison
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Han Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Ray Luo
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
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