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Santini BL, Gaardløs M, Wyrzykowski D, Rothemund S, Penk A, Zacharias M, Samsonov SA. Rational design of glycosaminoglycan binding cyclic peptides using cPEPmatch. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:2985-2994. [PMID: 39135886 PMCID: PMC11318538 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Cyclic peptides present a robust platform for drug design, offering high specificity and stability due to their conformationally constrained structures. In this study, we introduce an updated version of the Cyclic Peptide Matching program (cPEPmatch) tailored for the identification of cyclic peptides capable of mimicking protein-glycosaminoglycan (GAG) binding sites. We focused on engineering cyclic peptides to replicate the GAG-binding affinity of antithrombin III (ATIII), a protein that plays a crucial role in modulating anticoagulation through interaction with the GAG heparin. By integrating computational and experimental methods, we successfully identified a cyclic peptide binder with promising potential for future optimization. MD simulations and MM-GBSA calculations were used to assess binding efficacy, supplemented by umbrella sampling to approximate free energy landscapes. The binding specificity was further validated through NMR and ITC experiments. Our findings demonstrate that the computationally designed cyclic peptides effectively target GAGs, suggesting their potential as novel therapeutic agents. This study advances our understanding of peptide-GAG interactions and lays the groundwork for future development of cyclic peptide-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianda L. Santini
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Straße 8, Garching, Germany
| | | | | | - Sven Rothemund
- Unit Peptide Technologies, Liebigstraße 21, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anja Penk
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Härtelstr. 16/18, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Zacharias
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Straße 8, Garching, Germany
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2
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Fawaz M, Sun C, Feng Y, Qirjollari A, Josien H, DeBord D, Simone A, Williamson DL, Pearson K, Gonzalez RJ, Vasicek L, Cancilla MT, Wang W, Spellman DS, Kedia K. Leveraging High-Resolution Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry for Cyclic Peptide Soft Spot Identification. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2024. [PMID: 38992936 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.4c00109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Cyclic peptides are an important class of molecules that gained significant attention in the field of drug discovery due to their unique pharmacological characteristics and enhanced proteolytic stability. Yet, gastrointestinal degradation remains a major hurdle in the discovery of orally bioavailable cyclic peptides. Soft spot identification (SSID) of the regions in the cyclic peptide sequence susceptible to amide hydrolysis by proteases is used in the discovery stage to guide medicinal chemistry design. SSID can be an arduous task, traditionally performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), often resulting in complex and time-consuming manual analysis, particularly when isomeric linear peptide metabolites chromatographically coelute. Here, we present an alternative orthogonal approach that entails a high-resolution ion mobility (HRIM) system based on Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulation (SLIM) technology interfaced with quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) mass spectrometry to address some of the challenges associated with SSID. Two strategies were used to resolve linear isomeric peptide metabolites: labeled and label-free, both utilizing the HRIM platform. The label-free strategy leverages negative polarity to ionize the isomers which achieves better separation of the gas phase ions in the ion mobility (IM) dimension as compared to positive polarity, which is a more conventional approach when studying proteins and peptides. The second approach uses an isotope-labeled dimethyl tag on the terminal amine group, acting as a "shift reagent" to influence the mobility of isomers in the positive mode. This method resulted in baseline separation for the isomers of interest and produced unique product ions in the fragmentation spectra for unambiguous soft spot identification. Both label-free and labeled strategies demonstrated the ability to solve the challenges associated with SSID for cyclic peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Fawaz
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Congliang Sun
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Yu Feng
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | | | - Hubert Josien
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Daniel DeBord
- MOBILion Systems, Inc., Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania 19317, United States
| | - Ashli Simone
- MOBILion Systems, Inc., Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania 19317, United States
| | | | - Kara Pearson
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | | | - Lisa Vasicek
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Mark T Cancilla
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Weixun Wang
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | | | - Komal Kedia
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
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Haggett JG, Domaille DW. ortho-Boronic Acid Carbonyl Compounds and Their Applications in Chemical Biology. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202302485. [PMID: 37967030 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202302485] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Iminoboronates and diazaborines are related classes of compounds that feature an imine ortho to an arylboronic acid (iminoboronate) or a hydrazone that cyclizes with an ortho arylboronic acid (diazaborine). Rather than acting as independent chemical motifs, the arylboronic acid impacts the rate of imine/hydrazone formation, hydrolysis, and exchange with competing nucleophiles. Increasing evidence has shown that the imine/hydrazone functionality also impacts arylboronic acid reactivity toward diols and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS). Untangling the communication between C=N linked functionalities and arylboronic acids has revealed a powerful and tunable motif for bioconjugation chemistries and other applications in chemical biology. Here, we survey the applications of iminoboronates and diazaborines in these fields with an eye toward understanding their utility as a function of neighboring group effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack G Haggett
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois St., Golden, CO 80401, USA
| | - Dylan W Domaille
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois St., Golden, CO 80401, USA
- Quantitative Biology and Engineering Program, Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois St., Golden, CO 80401, USA
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4
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Abstract
Cyclic peptides are fascinating molecules abundantly found in nature and exploited as molecular format for drug development as well as other applications, ranging from research tools to food additives. Advances in peptide technologies made over many years through improved methods for synthesis and drug development have resulted in a steady stream of new drugs, with an average of around one cyclic peptide drug approved per year. Powerful technologies for screening random peptide libraries, and de novo generating ligands, have enabled the development of cyclic peptide drugs independent of naturally derived molecules and now offer virtually unlimited development opportunities. In this review, we feature therapeutically relevant cyclic peptides derived from nature and discuss the unique properties of cyclic peptides, the enormous technological advances in peptide ligand development in recent years, and current challenges and opportunities for developing cyclic peptides that address unmet medical needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinjian Ji
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexander L Nielsen
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian Heinis
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
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5
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Lourenço ALP, Rios TB, da Silva ÁP, Franco OL, Ramada MHS. Peptide Stapling Applied to Antimicrobial Peptides. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1400. [PMID: 37760697 PMCID: PMC10525709 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12091400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered a promising therapeutic approach against multi-drug resistant microorganisms. Besides their advantages, there are limitations to be overcome so that these molecules can become market competitive. One of the biggest limitations is proteolytic susceptibility, which could be overcome by structural modifications such as cyclization, especially for helix-constraining strategies. Over the years, many helix stabilization techniques have arisen, such as lactam-bridging, triazole-based, N-alkylation and all-hydrocarbon stapling. All-hydrocarbon stapling takes advantage of modified amino acid residues and olefinic cross-linking to constrain peptide helices. Despite being a well-established strategy and presenting efficient stability results, there are different limitations especially related to toxicity. In this review, recent studies on stapled AMPs for antimicrobial usage are explored with the aim of understanding the future of these molecules as putative antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Laura Pereira Lourenço
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília 71966-700, Brazil
| | - Thuanny Borba Rios
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília 71966-700, Brazil
- S-Inova Biotech, Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande 79117-900, Brazil
| | - Állan Pires da Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília 71966-700, Brazil
| | - Octávio Luiz Franco
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília 71966-700, Brazil
- S-Inova Biotech, Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande 79117-900, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Henrique Soller Ramada
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília 71966-700, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Gerontologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília 71966-700, Brazil
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Bhowmick J, Nag M, Ghosh P, Rajmani RS, Chatterjee R, Karmakar K, Chandra K, Chatterjee J, Chakravortty D, Varadarajan R. A CcdB toxin-derived peptide acts as a broad-spectrum antibacterial therapeutic in infected mice. EMBO Rep 2023; 24:e55338. [PMID: 37166011 PMCID: PMC10328072 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202255338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterial toxin CcdB (Controller of Cell death or division B) targets DNA Gyrase, an essential bacterial topoisomerase, which is also the molecular target for fluoroquinolones. Here, we present a short cell-penetrating 24-mer peptide, CP1-WT, derived from the Gyrase-binding region of CcdB and examine its effect on growth of Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus and a carbapenem- and tigecycline-resistant strain of Acinetobacter baumannii in both axenic cultures and mouse models of infection. The CP1-WT peptide shows significant improvement over ciprofloxacin in terms of its in vivo therapeutic efficacy in treating established infections of S. Typhimurium, S. aureus and A. baumannii. The molecular mechanism likely involves inhibition of Gyrase or Topoisomerase IV, depending on the strain used. The study validates the CcdB binding site on bacterial DNA Gyrase as a viable and alternative target to the fluoroquinolone binding site.
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Grants
- Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India - Indian Institute of Science (DBT-IISc) partnership program
- BT/COE/34/SP15219/2015 Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India
- DT.20/11/2015 Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India
- Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India (DST FIST)
- Ministry of Education, India (MHRD)
- University Grants Commission, Ministry of Education, India (UGC Centre for Advanced Studies)
- Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India
- Ministry of Education, India (MHRD)
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayantika Bhowmick
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU)Indian Institute of ScienceBangaloreIndia
| | - Manish Nag
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU)Indian Institute of ScienceBangaloreIndia
| | - Pritha Ghosh
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU)Indian Institute of ScienceBangaloreIndia
| | - Raju S Rajmani
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU)Indian Institute of ScienceBangaloreIndia
| | - Ritika Chatterjee
- Department of Microbiology and Cell BiologyIndian Institute of ScienceBangaloreIndia
| | - Kapudeep Karmakar
- Department of Microbiology and Cell BiologyIndian Institute of ScienceBangaloreIndia
| | - Kasturi Chandra
- Department of Microbiology and Cell BiologyIndian Institute of ScienceBangaloreIndia
| | - Jayanta Chatterjee
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU)Indian Institute of ScienceBangaloreIndia
| | - Dipshikha Chakravortty
- Department of Microbiology and Cell BiologyIndian Institute of ScienceBangaloreIndia
- School of BiologyIndian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM)ThiruvananthapuramIndia
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7
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Chernykh AV, Aloshyn D, Kuchkovska YO, Daniliuc CG, Tolmachova NA, Kondratov IS, Zozulya S, Grygorenko OO, Haufe G. Impact of β-perfluoroalkyl substitution of proline on the proteolytic stability of its peptide derivatives. Org Biomol Chem 2022; 20:9337-9350. [PMID: 36107003 DOI: 10.1039/d2ob01430k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
A series of all stereoisomers of β-CF3 or β-C2F5 substituted prolines and their dipeptide derivatives were synthesized. Mouse plasma stability assay was carried out to study the impact of fluoroalkyl substituents on the proteolytic stability of proline-derived peptides. The effect of the (R)-/(S)-configuration at the C-2 atom in combination with electronic and steric effects imposed by fluoroalkyl groups was addressed to rationalize the difference in the half-life stability of diastereomeric β-CF3-Pro-Gly and β-C2F5-Pro-Gly derivatives and compared to those of parent (S)-Pro-Gly and (R)-Pro-Gly dipeptides. The steric effect was predominant when the β-CF3 or β-C2F5 group was placed properly to create a spatial interference within the pockets of proteases, thereby protecting the substances from degradation (e.g., for cis-isomeric derivatives). Otherwise, a smaller electronic effect accelerating proteolysis was in charge (i.e., for the (2S,3S) isomers).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton V Chernykh
- Enamine Ltd., Chervonotkatska Street 78, Kyïv 02094, Ukraine. .,Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyïv, Volodymyrska Street 60, Kyïv 01601, Ukraine.
| | - Danylo Aloshyn
- Bienta/Enamine Ltd., Chervonotkatska Street 78, Kyïv 02094, Ukraine
| | | | - Constantin G Daniliuc
- Organisch-Chemisches Institut, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstrasse 40, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | | | - Ivan S Kondratov
- Enamine Ltd., Chervonotkatska Street 78, Kyïv 02094, Ukraine. .,V.P. Kukhar Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry & Petrochemistry, National Academy of Sciences of, Ukraine, Murmanska Street 1, Kyïv 02660, Ukraine
| | - Sergey Zozulya
- Bienta/Enamine Ltd., Chervonotkatska Street 78, Kyïv 02094, Ukraine
| | - Oleksandr O Grygorenko
- Enamine Ltd., Chervonotkatska Street 78, Kyïv 02094, Ukraine. .,Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyïv, Volodymyrska Street 60, Kyïv 01601, Ukraine.
| | - Günter Haufe
- Organisch-Chemisches Institut, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstrasse 40, 48149 Münster, Germany.,Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence, Universität Münster, Waldeyerstraße 15, 48149 Münster, Germany
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8
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Crystal Chan SH, Griffin JM, Clemett CA, Brimble MA, O’Carroll SJ, Harris PWR. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Termini-Modified and Cyclic Variants of the Connexin43 Inhibitor Peptide5. Front Chem 2022; 10:877618. [PMID: 36176893 PMCID: PMC9513234 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.877618] [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: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide5 is a 12–amino acid mimetic peptide that corresponds to a region of the extracellular loop 2 (EL2) of connexin43. Peptide5 regulates both cellular communication with the cytoplasm (hemichannels) and cell-to-cell communication (gap junctions), and both processes are implicated in neurological pathologies. To address the poor in vivo stability of native peptide5 and to improve its activity, twenty-five novel peptide5 mimetics were designed and synthesized. All the analogues underwent biological evaluation as a hemichannel blocker and as a gap junction disruptor, and several were assessed for stability in human serum. From this study, it was established that several acylations on the N-terminus were tolerated in the hemichannel assay. However, the replacement of the L-Lys with an N-methylated L-Lys to give H-VDCFLSRPTE-N-MeKT-OH showed good hemichannel and gap junction activity and was more stable in human serum. The cyclic peptide variants generally were not tolerated in either the hemichannel and gap junction assay although several possessed outstanding stability in human serum.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jarred M. Griffin
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Connor A. Clemett
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Margaret A. Brimble
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Simon J. O’Carroll
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- *Correspondence: Simon J. O’Carroll, ; Paul W. R. Harris,
| | - Paul W. R. Harris
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- *Correspondence: Simon J. O’Carroll, ; Paul W. R. Harris,
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Lucana MC, Arruga Y, Petrachi E, Roig A, Lucchi R, Oller-Salvia B. Protease-Resistant Peptides for Targeting and Intracellular Delivery of Therapeutics. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:2065. [PMID: 34959346 PMCID: PMC8708026 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13122065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptides show high promise in the targeting and intracellular delivery of next-generation bio- and nano-therapeutics. However, the proteolytic susceptibility of peptides is one of the major limitations of their activity in biological environments. Numerous strategies have been devised to chemically enhance the resistance of peptides to proteolysis, ranging from N- and C-termini protection to cyclization, and including backbone modification, incorporation of amino acids with non-canonical side chains and conjugation. Since conjugation of nanocarriers or other cargoes to peptides for targeting and cell penetration may already provide some degree of shielding, the question arises about the relevance of using protease-resistant sequences for these applications. Aiming to answer this question, here we provide a critical review on protease-resistant targeting peptides and cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). Two main approaches have been used on these classes of peptides: enantio/retro-enantio isomerization and cyclization. On one hand, enantio/retro-enantio isomerization has been shown to provide a clear enhancement in peptide efficiency with respect to parent L-amino acid peptides, especially when applied to peptides for drug delivery to the brain. On the other hand, cyclization also clearly increases peptide transport capacity, although contribution from enhanced protease resistance or affinity is often not dissected. Overall, we conclude that although conjugation often offers some degree of protection to proteolysis in targeting peptides and CPPs, modification of peptide sequences to further enhance protease resistance can greatly increase homing and transport efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Benjamí Oller-Salvia
- Grup d’Enginyeria de Materials (GEMAT), Institut Químic de Sarrià (IQS), Universitat Ramon Llull, 08017 Barcelona, Spain; (M.C.L.); (Y.A.); (E.P.); (A.R.); (R.L.)
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10
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Zhang M, Xu B, Li N, Zhang R, Zhang Q, Shi X, Xu K, Xiao J, Chen D, Niu J, Shi Y, Fang Q. Development of Multifunctional and Orally Active Cyclic Peptide Agonists of Opioid/Neuropeptide FF Receptors that Produce Potent, Long-Lasting, and Peripherally Restricted Antinociception with Diminished Side Effects. J Med Chem 2021; 64:13394-13409. [PMID: 34465090 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
We previously reported that a multifunctional opioid/neuropeptide FF receptor agonist, DN-9, achieved peripherally restricted analgesia with reduced side effects. To develop stable and orally bioavailable analogues of DN-9, eight lactam-bridged cyclic analogues of DN-9 between positions 2 and 5 were designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated. In vitro cAMP assays revealed that these analogues, except 7, were multifunctional ligands that activated opioid and neuropeptide FF receptors. Analogue 1 exhibited improved potency for κ-opioid and NPFF2 receptors. All analogues exhibited potent, long-lasting, and peripherally restricted antinociception in the tail-flick test without tolerance development after subcutaneous administration and produced oral analgesia. Oral administration of the optimized compound analogue 1 exhibited powerful, peripherally restricted antinociceptive effects in mouse models of acute, inflammatory, and neuropathic pain. Remarkably, orally administered analogue 1 had no significant side effects, such as tolerance, dependence, constipation, or respiratory depression, at effective analgesic doses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengna Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, and Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, PR China
| | - Biao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, and Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, PR China
| | - Ning Li
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, and Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, PR China
| | - Run Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, and Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, PR China
| | - Qinqin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, and Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, PR China
| | - Xuerui Shi
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, and Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, PR China
| | - Kangtai Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, PR China
| | - Jian Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, and Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, PR China
| | - Dan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, and Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, PR China
| | - Jiandong Niu
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, and Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, PR China
| | - Yonghang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, and Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, PR China
| | - Quan Fang
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, and Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, PR China
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11
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Lai X, Tang J, ElSayed MEH. Recent advances in proteolytic stability for peptide, protein, and antibody drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2021; 16:1467-1482. [PMID: 34187273 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2021.1942837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: To discover and develop a peptide, protein, or antibody into a drug requires overcoming multiple challenges to obtain desired properties. Proteolytic stability is one of the challenges and deserves a focused investigation.Areas covered: This review concentrates on improving proteolytic stability by engineering the amino acids around the cleavage sites of a liable peptide, protein, or antibody. Peptidases are discussed on three levels including all peptidases in databases, mixtures based on organ and tissue types, and individual peptidases. The technique to identify cleavage sites is spotlighted on mass spectrometry-based approaches such as MALDI-TOF and LC-MS. For sequence engineering, the replacements that have been commonly applied with a higher chance of success are highlighted at the beginning, while the rarely used and more complicated replacements are discussed later. Although a one-size-fits-all approach does not exist to apply to different projects, this review provides a 3-step strategy for effectively and efficiently conducting the proteolytic stability experiments to achieve the eventual goal of improving the stability by engineering the molecule itself.Expert opinion: Improving the proteolytic stability is a spiraling up process sequenced by testing and engineering. There are many ways to engineer amino acids, but the choice must consider the cost and properties affected by the changes of the amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianyin Lai
- Biotechnology Discovery Research, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Jason Tang
- Biotechnology Discovery Research, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Mohamed E H ElSayed
- Biotechnology Discovery Research, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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