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Li Y, Wu M, Fu Y, Xue J, Yuan F, Qu T, Rissanou AN, Wang Y, Li X, Hu H. Therapeutic stapled peptides: Efficacy and molecular targets. Pharmacol Res 2024; 203:107137. [PMID: 38522761 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Peptide stapling, by employing a stable, preformed alpha-helical conformation, results in the production of peptides with improved membrane permeability and enhanced proteolytic stability, compared to the original peptides, and provides an effective solution to accelerate the rapid development of peptide drugs. Various reviews present peptide stapling chemistries, anchoring residues and one- or two-component cyclization, however, therapeutic stapled peptides have not been systematically summarized, especially focusing on various disease-related targets. This review highlights the latest advances in therapeutic peptide drug development facilitated by the application of stapling technology, including different stapling techniques, synthetic accessibility, applicability to biological targets, potential for solving biological problems, as well as the current status of development. Stapled peptides as therapeutic drug candidates have been classified and analysed mainly by receptor- and ligand-based stapled peptide design against various diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases, inflammation, and diabetes. This review is expected to provide a comprehensive reference for the rational design of stapled peptides for different diseases and targets to facilitate the development of therapeutic peptides with enhanced pharmacokinetic and biological properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulei Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China.
| | - Minghao Wu
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yinxue Fu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Jingwen Xue
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Fei Yuan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Tianci Qu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Anastassia N Rissanou
- Theoretical & Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635, Greece
| | - Yilin Wang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 131 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiang Li
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Honggang Hu
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, China.
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Wang LL, Estrada L, Wiggins J, Anantpadma M, Patten JJ, Davey RA, Xiang SH. Ligand-based design of peptide entry inhibitors targeting the endosomal receptor binding site of filoviruses. Antiviral Res 2022; 206:105399. [PMID: 36007601 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Filoviruses enter cells through micropinocytosis and trafficking into the endosomes in which they bind to the receptor Niemann-Pick C1 protein (NPC1) for membrane fusion and entry into the cytoplasm. The endosomal receptor-binding is critical step for filovirus entry. Designing inhibitors to block receptor binding will prevent viral entry. Using available binding structural information from the co-crystal structures of the viral GP with the receptor NPC1 or with monoclonal antibodies, we have conducted structure-based design of peptide inhibitors to target the receptor binding site (RBS). The designed peptides were tested for their inhibition activity against pseudo-typed or replication-competent viruses in a cell-based assay. The results indicate that these peptides exhibited strong activities against both Ebola and Marburg virus infection. It is expected that these peptides can be further developed for therapeutic use to treat filovirus infection and combat the outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah Liu Wang
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, USA; Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA
| | - Leslie Estrada
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, USA; Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA
| | - Joshua Wiggins
- Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA; School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA
| | - Manu Anantpadma
- Department of Microbiology & National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - J J Patten
- Department of Microbiology & National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Robert A Davey
- Department of Microbiology & National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Shi-Hua Xiang
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, USA; Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA.
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3
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Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Activity of the Amphibian Antimicrobial Peptide Temporin L and Its Analogs. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042060. [PMID: 35216177 PMCID: PMC8878748 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has evidenced the urgent need for the discovery of broad-spectrum antiviral therapies that could be deployed in the case of future emergence of novel viral threats, as well as to back up current therapeutic options in the case of drug resistance development. Most current antivirals are directed to inhibit specific viruses since these therapeutic molecules are designed to act on a specific viral target with the objective of interfering with a precise step in the replication cycle. Therefore, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been identified as promising antiviral agents that could help to overcome this limitation and provide compounds able to act on more than a single viral family. We evaluated the antiviral activity of an amphibian peptide known for its strong antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, namely Temporin L (TL). Previous studies have revealed that TL is endowed with widespread antimicrobial activity and possesses marked haemolytic activity. Therefore, we analyzed TL and a previously identified TL derivative (Pro3, DLeu9 TL, where glutamine at position 3 is replaced with proline, and the D-Leucine enantiomer is present at position 9) as well as its analogs, for their activity against a wide panel of viruses comprising enveloped, naked, DNA and RNA viruses. We report significant inhibition activity against herpesviruses, paramyxoviruses, influenza virus and coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, we further modified our best candidate by lipidation and demonstrated a highly reduced cytotoxicity with improved antiviral effect. Our results show a potent and selective antiviral activity of TL peptides, indicating that the novel lipidated temporin-based antiviral agents could prove to be useful additions to current drugs in combatting rising drug resistance and epidemic/pandemic emergencies.
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Pu J, Zhou JT, Liu P, Yu F, He X, Lu L, Jiang S. Viral Entry Inhibitors Targeting Six-Helical Bundle Core Against Highly Pathogenic Enveloped Viruses with Class I Fusion Proteins. Curr Med Chem 2021; 29:700-718. [PMID: 33992055 DOI: 10.2174/0929867328666210511015808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
TypeⅠ enveloped viruses bind to cell receptors through surface glycoproteins to initiate infection or undergo receptor-mediated endocytosis. They also initiate membrane fusion in the acidic environment of endocytic compartments, releasing genetic material into the cell. In the process of membrane fusion, envelope protein exposes fusion peptide, followed by insertion into the cell membrane or endosomal membrane. Further conformational changes ensue in which the type 1 envelope protein forms a typical six-helix bundle structure, shortening the distance between viral and cell membranes so that fusion can occur. Entry inhibitors targeting viral envelope proteins, or host factors, are effective antiviral agents and have been widely studied. Some have been used clinically, such as T20 and Maraviroc for human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) or Myrcludex B for hepatitis D virus (HDV). This review focuses on entry inhibitors that target the six-helical bundle core against highly pathogenic enveloped viruses with class I fusion proteins, including retroviruses, coronaviruses, influenza A viruses, paramyxoviruses, and filoviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Pu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH/CAMS, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Joey Tianyi Zhou
- Institute of High Performance Computing, The Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Ping Liu
- Institute of High Performance Computing, The Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Fei Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Xiaoyang He
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH/CAMS, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH/CAMS, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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Cholesterol-conjugated stapled peptides inhibit Ebola and Marburg viruses in vitro and in vivo. Antiviral Res 2019; 171:104592. [PMID: 31473342 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2019.104592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Filoviridae currently includes five official and one proposed genera. Genus Ebolavirus includes five established and one proposed ebolavirus species for Bombali virus (BOMV), Bundibugyo virus (BDBV), Ebola virus (EBOV), Reston virus (RESTV), Sudan virus (SUDV) and Taï Forest virus (TAFV), and genus Marburgvirus includes a single species for Marburg virus (MARV) and Ravn virus (RAVV). Ebola virus (EBOV) has emerged as a significant public health concern since the 2013-2016 Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in Western Africa. Currently, there are no therapeutics approved and the need for Ebola-specific therapeutics remains a gap. In search for anti-Ebola therapies we tested the idea of using inhibitory properties of peptides corresponding to the C-terminal heptad-repeat (HR2) domains of class I fusion proteins against EBOV infection. The fusion protein GP2 of EBOV belongs to class I, suggesting that a similar strategy to HIV may be applied to inhibit EBOV infection. The serum half-life of peptides was expanded by cholesterol conjugation to allow daily dosing. The peptides were further constrained to stabilize a helical structure to increase the potency of inhibition. The EC50s of lead peptides were in low micromolar range, as determined by a high-content imaging test of EBOV-infected cells. Lead peptides were tested in an EBOV lethal mouse model and efficacy of the peptides were determined following twice-daily administration of peptides for 9 days. The most potent peptide was able to protect mice from lethal challenge of mouse-adapted Ebola virus. These data show that engineered peptides coupled with cholesterol can inhibit viral production, protect mice against lethal EBOV infection, and may be used to build novel therapeutics against EBOV.
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Singleton CD, Humby MS, Yi HA, Rizzo RC, Jacobs A. Identification of Ebola Virus Inhibitors Targeting GP2 Using Principles of Molecular Mimicry. J Virol 2019; 93:e00676-19. [PMID: 31092576 PMCID: PMC6639268 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00676-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
A key step in the Ebola virus (EBOV) replication cycle involves conformational changes in viral glycoprotein 2 (GP2) which facilitate host-viral membrane fusion and subsequent release of the viral genome. Ebola GP2 plays a critical role in virus entry and has similarities in mechanism and structure to the HIV gp41 protein for which inhibitors have been successfully developed. In this work, a putative binding pocket for the C-terminal heptad repeat in the N-terminal heptad repeat trimer was targeted for identification of small molecules that arrest EBOV-host membrane fusion. Two computational structure-based virtual screens of ∼1.7 M compounds were performed (DOCK program) against a GP2 five-helix bundle, resulting in 165 commercially available compounds purchased for experimental testing. Based on assessment of inhibitory activity, cytotoxicity, and target specificity, four promising candidates emerged with 50% inhibitory concentration values in the 3 to 26 μM range. Molecular dynamics simulations of the two most potent candidates in their DOCK-predicted binding poses indicate that the majority of favorable interactions involve seven highly conserved residues that can be used to guide further inhibitor development and refinement targeting EBOV.IMPORTANCE The most recent Ebola virus disease outbreak, from 2014 to 2016, resulted in approximately 28,000 individuals becoming infected, which led to over 12,000 causalities worldwide. The particularly high pathogenicity of the virus makes paramount the identification and development of promising lead compounds to serve as inhibitors of Ebola infection. To limit viral load, the virus-host membrane fusion event can be targeted through the inhibition of the class I fusion glycoprotein of Ebolavirus In the current work, several promising small-molecule inhibitors that target the glycoprotein GP2 were identified through systematic application of structure-based computational and experimental drug design procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney D Singleton
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Monica S Humby
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Hyun Ah Yi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Robert C Rizzo
- Department of Applied Mathematics & Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Institute of Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Laufer Center for Physical & Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Amy Jacobs
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
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Design and Characterization of Cholesterylated Peptide HIV-1/2 Fusion Inhibitors with Extremely Potent and Long-Lasting Antiviral Activity. J Virol 2019; 93:JVI.02312-18. [PMID: 30867304 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02312-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV infection requires lifelong treatment with multiple antiretroviral drugs in a combination, which ultimately causes cumulative toxicities and drug resistance, thus necessitating the development of novel antiviral agents. We recently found that enfuvirtide (T-20)-based lipopeptides conjugated with fatty acids have dramatically increased in vitro and in vivo anti-HIV activities. Herein, a group of cholesterol-modified fusion inhibitors were characterized with significant findings. First, novel cholesterylated inhibitors, such as LP-83 and LP-86, showed the most potent activity in inhibiting divergent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), HIV-2, and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). Second, the cholesterylated inhibitors were highly active to inhibit T-20-resistant mutants that still conferred high resistance to the fatty acid derivatives. Third, the cholesterylated inhibitors had extremely potent activity to block HIV envelope (Env)-mediated cell-cell fusion, especially a truncated minimum lipopeptide (LP-95), showing a greatly increased potency relative to its inhibition on virus infection. Fourth, the cholesterylated inhibitors efficiently bound to both the cellular and viral membranes to exert their antiviral activities. Fifth, the cholesterylated inhibitors displayed low cytotoxicity and binding capacity with human serum albumin. Sixth, we further demonstrated that LP-83 exhibited extremely potent and long-lasting anti-HIV activity in rhesus monkeys. Taken together, the present results help our understanding on the mechanism of action of lipopeptide-based viral fusion inhibitors and facilitate the development of novel anti-HIV drugs.IMPORTANCE The peptide drug enfuvirtide (T-20) remains the only membrane fusion inhibitor available for treatment of viral infection, which is used in combination therapy of HIV-1 infection; however, it exhibits relatively low antiviral activity and a genetic barrier to inducing resistance, calling for the continuous development for novel anti-HIV agents. In this study, we report cholesterylated fusion inhibitors showing the most potent and broad anti-HIV activities to date. The new inhibitors have been comprehensively characterized for their modes of action and druggability, including small size, low cytotoxicity, binding ability to human serum albumin (HSA), and, especially, extremely potent and long-lasting antiviral activity in rhesus monkeys. Therefore, the present studies have provided new drug candidates for clinical development, which can also be used as tools to probe the mechanisms of viral entry and inhibition.
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Zhu YJ, Wu QF, Fan ZJ, Huo JQ, Zhang JL, Zhao B, Lai C, Qian XL, Ma DJ, Wang DW. Synthesis, bioactivity and mode of action of 5 A 5 B 6 C tricyclic spirolactones as novel antiviral lead compounds. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2019; 75:292-301. [PMID: 29885056 DOI: 10.1002/ps.5115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant viral diseases cause tremendous decreases in yield and quality. Natural polycyclic compounds such as those containing carbocycles are often very important lead compounds for drug and pesticide development. Tricyclic spiranoid lactones with 5A 5B 6C -ring fusion topologies possess various bioactivities. In this study, 33 new 5A 5B 6C tricyclic spirolactones were rationally designed, synthesized, characterized and evaluated for antiviral activities. RESULT These compounds showed no apparent toxicity against Italian honeybees up to 2.73 µg bee-1 . Spirolactones 14, 16, 19, 23 and 28 at a concentration of 100 µg mL-1 inactivated 90% of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection, making these compounds much more potent than the positive controls. Significantly, compound 19 displayed the best inactivation activity causing inhibition of up to 98%. CONCLUSION The results of the bioassays and QSAR studies indicated that the carbon-containing cyclic moiety was the antiviral pharmacophore, and derivative 19, which showed the best inactivation activity, could emerge as a potential antiviral agent against TMV. In vitro capsid protein (CP) assembly and TMV assembly inhibition determinations indicated that these compounds induced crosslinking in the TMV and prevented its uncoating, which was a putative new mode of action for TMV inactivation. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Jie Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Qi-Fan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Zhi-Jin Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Jing-Qian Huo
- College of Plant Protection, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, P. R. China
| | - Jin-Lin Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, P. R. China
| | - Bin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Chen Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Lin Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - De-Jun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Da-Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China
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Figueira TN, Augusto MT, Rybkina K, Stelitano D, Noval MG, Harder OE, Veiga AS, Huey D, Alabi CA, Biswas S, Niewiesk S, Moscona A, Santos NC, Castanho MARB, Porotto M. Effective in Vivo Targeting of Influenza Virus through a Cell-Penetrating/Fusion Inhibitor Tandem Peptide Anchored to the Plasma Membrane. Bioconjug Chem 2018; 29:3362-3376. [PMID: 30169965 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.8b00527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The impact of influenza virus infection is felt each year on a global scale when approximately 5-10% of adults and 20-30% of children globally are infected. While vaccination is the primary strategy for influenza prevention, there are a number of likely scenarios for which vaccination is inadequate, making the development of effective antiviral agents of utmost importance. Anti-influenza treatments with innovative mechanisms of action are critical in the face of emerging viral resistance to the existing drugs. These new antiviral agents are urgently needed to address future epidemic (or pandemic) influenza and are critical for the immune-compromised cohort who cannot be vaccinated. We have previously shown that lipid tagged peptides derived from the C-terminal region of influenza hemagglutinin (HA) were effective influenza fusion inhibitors. In this study, we modified the influenza fusion inhibitors by adding a cell penetrating peptide sequence to promote intracellular targeting. These fusion-inhibiting peptides self-assemble into ∼15-30 nm nanoparticles (NPs), target relevant infectious tissues in vivo, and reduce viral infectivity upon interaction with the cell membrane. Overall, our data show that the CPP and the lipid moiety are both required for efficient biodistribution, fusion inhibition, and efficacy in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- T N Figueira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina , Universidade de Lisboa , 1649-028 Lisbon , Portugal.,Department of Pediatrics , Columbia University Medical Center , New York , New York 10032 , United States.,Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction , Columbia University Medical Center , New York , New York 10032 , United States
| | - M T Augusto
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina , Universidade de Lisboa , 1649-028 Lisbon , Portugal.,Department of Pediatrics , Columbia University Medical Center , New York , New York 10032 , United States.,Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction , Columbia University Medical Center , New York , New York 10032 , United States
| | - K Rybkina
- Department of Pediatrics , Columbia University Medical Center , New York , New York 10032 , United States
| | - D Stelitano
- Department of Pediatrics , Columbia University Medical Center , New York , New York 10032 , United States
| | - M G Noval
- Department of Pediatrics , Columbia University Medical Center , New York , New York 10032 , United States
| | - O E Harder
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine , The Ohio State University , Columbus , Ohio 43210 , United States
| | - A S Veiga
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina , Universidade de Lisboa , 1649-028 Lisbon , Portugal
| | - D Huey
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine , The Ohio State University , Columbus , Ohio 43210 , United States
| | - C A Alabi
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York 14853 , United States
| | - S Biswas
- Department of Pediatrics , Columbia University Medical Center , New York , New York 10032 , United States.,Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction , Columbia University Medical Center , New York , New York 10032 , United States
| | - S Niewiesk
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine , The Ohio State University , Columbus , Ohio 43210 , United States
| | - A Moscona
- Department of Pediatrics , Columbia University Medical Center , New York , New York 10032 , United States.,Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction , Columbia University Medical Center , New York , New York 10032 , United States.,Department of Microbiology & Immunology , Columbia University Medical Center , New York , New York 10032 , United States.,Department of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics , Columbia University Medical Center , New York , New York 10032 , United States
| | - N C Santos
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina , Universidade de Lisboa , 1649-028 Lisbon , Portugal
| | - M A R B Castanho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina , Universidade de Lisboa , 1649-028 Lisbon , Portugal
| | - M Porotto
- Department of Pediatrics , Columbia University Medical Center , New York , New York 10032 , United States.,Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction , Columbia University Medical Center , New York , New York 10032 , United States.,Department of Experimental Medicine , University of Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli' , 81100 Caserta , Caserta , Italy
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10
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Rabinowitz JA, Lainson JC, Johnston SA, Diehnelt CW. Non-natural amino acid peptide microarrays to discover Ebola virus glycoprotein ligands. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 54:1417-1420. [PMID: 29297911 DOI: 10.1039/c7cc08242h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We demonstrate a platform to screen a virus pseudotyped with Ebola virus glycoprotein (GP) against a library of peptides that contain non-natural amino acids to develop GP affinity ligands. This system could be used for rapid development of peptide-based antivirals for other emerging or neglected tropical infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua A Rabinowitz
- Biodesign Institute Center for Innovations in Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, USA.
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11
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Gomes B, Augusto MT, Felício MR, Hollmann A, Franco OL, Gonçalves S, Santos NC. Designing improved active peptides for therapeutic approaches against infectious diseases. Biotechnol Adv 2018; 36:415-429. [PMID: 29330093 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2018.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Infectious diseases are one of the main causes of human morbidity and mortality. In the last few decades, pathogenic microorganisms' resistance to conventional drugs has been increasing, and it is now pinpointed as a major worldwide health concern. The need to search for new therapeutic options, as well as improved treatment outcomes, has therefore increased significantly, with biologically active peptides representing a new alternative. A substantial research effort is being dedicated towards their development, especially due to improved biocompatibility and target selectivity. However, the inherent limitations of peptide drugs are restricting their application. In this review, we summarize the current status of peptide drug development, focusing on antiviral and antimicrobial peptide activities, highlighting the design improvements needed, and those already being used, to overcome the drawbacks of the therapeutic application of biologically active peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Gomes
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Marcelo T Augusto
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mário R Felício
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Axel Hollmann
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal; Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Basic and Applied Microbiology, National University of Quilmes, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratory of Biointerfaces and Biomimetic Systems, CITSE, National University of Santiago del Estero-CONICET, Santiago del Estero, Argentina
| | - Octávio L Franco
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Pós-graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia Molecular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil; S-Inova Biotech, Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Sónia Gonçalves
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Nuno C Santos
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal.
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12
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Quinn K, Traboni C, Penchala SD, Bouliotis G, Doyle N, Libri V, Khoo S, Ashby D, Weber J, Nicosia A, Cortese R, Pessi A, Winston A. A first-in-human study of the novel HIV-fusion inhibitor C34-PEG 4-Chol. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9447. [PMID: 28842581 PMCID: PMC5572697 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-09230-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-acting injectable antiretroviral (LA-ARV) drugs with low toxicity profiles and propensity for drug-drug interactions are a goal for future ARV regimens. C34-PEG4-Chol is a novel cholesterol tagged LA HIV-fusion-inhibitor (FI). We assessed pre-clinical toxicology and first-in-human administration of C34-PEG4-Chol. Pre-clinical toxicology was conducted in 2 species. HIV-positive men were randomised to a single subcutaneous dose of C34-PEG4-Chol at incrementing doses or placebo. Detailed clinical (including injection site reaction (ISR) grading), plasma pharmacokinetic (time-to-minimum-effective-concentration (MEC, 25 ng/mL) and pharmacodynamic (plasma HIV RNA) parameters were assessed. In both mice and dogs, no-observed-adverse effect level (NOAEL) was observed at a 12 mg/kg/dose after two weeks. Of 5 men enrolled, 3 received active drug (10 mg, 10 mg and 20 mg). In 2 individuals grade 3 ISR occurred and the study was halted. Both ISR emerged within 12 hours of active drug dosing. No systemic toxicities were observed. The time-to-MEC was >72 and >96 hours after 10 and 20 mg dose, respectively, and mean change in HIV RNA was −0.9 log10 copies/mL. These human pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic data, although limited to 3 subjects, of C34-PEG-4-Chol suggest continuing evaluation of this agent as a LA-ARV. However, alternative administration routes must be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Killian Quinn
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W2 1NY, UK
| | | | | | | | - Nicki Doyle
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W2 1NY, UK
| | - Vincenzo Libri
- Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Saye Khoo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK
| | - Deborah Ashby
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Jonathan Weber
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W2 1NY, UK
| | - Alfredo Nicosia
- JV Bio, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Napoli, Italy.,CEINGE, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Napoli, Italy
| | - Riccardo Cortese
- JV Bio, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Napoli, Italy.,CEINGE, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Napoli, Italy
| | - Antonello Pessi
- JV Bio, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Napoli, Italy. .,CEINGE, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Napoli, Italy. .,PeptiPharma, Viale Città D'Europa 679, 00144, Roma, Italy.
| | - Alan Winston
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W2 1NY, UK.
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13
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Tambunan USF, Alkaff AH, Nasution MAF, Parikesit AA, Kerami D. Screening of commercial cyclic peptide conjugated to HIV-1 Tat peptide as inhibitor of N-terminal heptad repeat glycoprotein-2 ectodomain Ebola virus through in silico analysis. J Mol Graph Model 2017; 74:366-378. [PMID: 28482272 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2017.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Revised: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF) is a disease caused by viruses from genus Ebolavirus. Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) is the deadliest species which has 76% case fatality rate. Up until now, there is no U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs to treat EHF. Antiviral drug based on EBOV N-terminal heptad repeat glycoprotein-2 (NHR GP2) Ectodomain inhibitor is one kind of treatment that has not well developed. NHR GP2 Ectodomain has an important role in the process of EBOV entry into the cell through endocytosis mechanism. In this study, we used in silico methods to investigate the activity of commercial cyclic peptide conjugated to Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 Trans-activator of the transcription (HIV-1 Tat) peptide as ligands which act as an inhibitor of EBOV NHR GP2 Ectodomain. The commercial cyclic peptides which we used in this study were obtained from the selected chemical companies. Conjugation of the commercial cyclic peptides to HIV-1 Tat peptide was done in order to accumulate it inside the endosome. The ligands which had the best inhibition properties were screened using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. Prediction of pharmacological properties of the peptides was done to choose the best drug candidate. The result of screening processes shows that Ligand 023 has the highest potency as the drug lead. The ligand needs to undergo further analysis through in vitro, in vivo, and a clinical trial to ensure that this ligand has a therapeutic ability as an antiviral drug for Ebola virus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usman Sumo Friend Tambunan
- Bioinformatics Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia.
| | - Ahmad Husein Alkaff
- Bioinformatics Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia
| | - Mochammad Arfin Fardiansyah Nasution
- Bioinformatics Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia
| | - Arli Aditya Parikesit
- Bioinformatics Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia
| | - Djati Kerami
- Mathematics Computation Research Group, Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 1624, Indonesia
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14
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Mathieu C, Augusto MT, Niewiesk S, Horvat B, Palermo LM, Sanna G, Madeddu S, Huey D, Castanho MARB, Porotto M, Santos NC, Moscona A. Broad spectrum antiviral activity for paramyxoviruses is modulated by biophysical properties of fusion inhibitory peptides. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43610. [PMID: 28344321 PMCID: PMC5361215 DOI: 10.1038/srep43610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Human paramyxoviruses include global causes of lower respiratory disease like the parainfluenza viruses, as well as agents of lethal encephalitis like Nipah virus. Infection is initiated by viral glycoprotein-mediated fusion between viral and host cell membranes. Paramyxovirus viral fusion proteins (F) insert into the target cell membrane, and form a transient intermediate that pulls the viral and cell membranes together as two heptad-repeat regions refold to form a six-helix bundle structure that can be specifically targeted by fusion-inhibitory peptides. Antiviral potency can be improved by sequence modification and lipid conjugation, and by adding linkers between the protein and lipid components. We exploit the uniquely broad spectrum antiviral activity of a parainfluenza F-derived peptide sequence that inhibits both parainfluenza and Nipah viruses, to investigate the influence of peptide orientation and intervening linker length on the peptides' interaction with transitional states of F, solubility, membrane insertion kinetics, and protease sensitivity. We assessed the impact of these features on biodistribution and antiviral efficacy in vitro and in vivo. The engineering approach based on biophysical parameters resulted in a peptide that is a highly effective inhibitor of both paramyxoviruses and a set of criteria to be used for engineering broad spectrum antivirals for emerging paramyxoviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyrille Mathieu
- CIRI, International Center for Infectiology Research, 21 Avenue Tony Garnier, 69365 Lyon Cedex 07, France.,INSERM U1111, Lyon, France.,CNRS, UMR5308, Lyon, France.,Université Lyon 1, Lyon, France.,Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Marcelo T Augusto
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Stefan Niewiesk
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
| | - Branka Horvat
- CIRI, International Center for Infectiology Research, 21 Avenue Tony Garnier, 69365 Lyon Cedex 07, France.,INSERM U1111, Lyon, France.,CNRS, UMR5308, Lyon, France.,Université Lyon 1, Lyon, France.,Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Laura M Palermo
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, 701 W. 168th St., New York, NY, USA.,Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Medical Center, 701 W. 168th St., New York, NY, USA
| | - Giuseppina Sanna
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, 701 W. 168th St., New York, NY, USA.,Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Medical Center, 701 W. 168th St., New York, NY, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Silvia Madeddu
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, 701 W. 168th St., New York, NY, USA.,Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Medical Center, 701 W. 168th St., New York, NY, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Devra Huey
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
| | - Miguel A R B Castanho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Matteo Porotto
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, 701 W. 168th St., New York, NY, USA.,Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Medical Center, 701 W. 168th St., New York, NY, USA
| | - Nuno C Santos
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Anne Moscona
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, 701 W. 168th St., New York, NY, USA.,Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Medical Center, 701 W. 168th St., New York, NY, USA.,Department of Microbiology &Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, 701 W. 168th St., New York, NY, USA.,Department of Physiology &Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, 701 W. 168th St., New York, NY, USA
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15
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Davey RA, Shtanko O, Anantpadma M, Sakurai Y, Chandran K, Maury W. Mechanisms of Filovirus Entry. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2017; 411:323-352. [PMID: 28601947 DOI: 10.1007/82_2017_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Filovirus entry into cells is complex, perhaps as complex as any viral entry mechanism identified to date. However, over the past 10 years, the important events required for filoviruses to enter into the endosomal compartment and fuse with vesicular membranes have been elucidated (Fig. 1). Here, we highlight the important steps that are required for productive entry of filoviruses into mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Davey
- Department of Virology and Immunology, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - O Shtanko
- Department of Virology and Immunology, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - M Anantpadma
- Department of Virology and Immunology, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Y Sakurai
- Department of Virology and Immunology, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - K Chandran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - W Maury
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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16
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Yi HA, Fochtman BC, Rizzo RC, Jacobs A. Inhibition of HIV Entry by Targeting the Envelope Transmembrane Subunit gp41. Curr HIV Res 2016; 14:283-94. [PMID: 26957202 DOI: 10.2174/1570162x14999160224103908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Revised: 09/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The transmembrane subunit of the HIV envelope protein, gp41 is a vulnerable target to inhibit HIV entry. There is one fusion inhibitor T20 (brand name: Fuzeon, generic name: enfuvirtide) available by prescription. However, it has several drawbacks such as a high level of development of drug resistance, a short-half life in vivo, rapid renal clearance, low oral bioavailability, and it is only used as a salvage therapy. Therefore, investigators have been studying a variety of different modalities to attempt to overcome these limitations. METHODS Comprehensive literature searches were performed on HIV gp41, inhibition mechanisms, and inhibitors. The latest structural information was collected, and multiple inhibition strategies targeting gp41 were reviewed. RESULTS Many of the recent advances in inhibitors were peptide-based. Several creative modification strategies have also been performed to improve inhibitory efficacy of peptides and to overcome the drawbacks of T20 treatment. Small compounds have also been an area of intense research. There is a wide variety in development from those identified by virtual screens targeting specific regions of the protein to natural products. Finally, broadly neutralizing antibodies have also been important area of research. The inaccessible nature of the target regions for antibodies is a challenge, however, extensive efforts to develop better neutralizing antibodies are ongoing. CONCLUSION The fusogenic protein, gp41 has been extensively studied as a promising target to inhibit membrane fusion between the virus and target cells. At the same time, it is a challenging target because the vulnerable conformations of the protein are exposed only transiently. However, advances in biochemical, biophysical, structural, and immunological studies are coming together to move the field closer to an understanding of gp41 structure and function that will lead to the development of novel drugs and vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Amy Jacobs
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA.
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17
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Filovirus proteins for antiviral drug discovery: A structure/function analysis of surface glycoproteins and virus entry. Antiviral Res 2016; 135:1-14. [PMID: 27640102 PMCID: PMC7113884 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2016.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
This review focuses on the recent progress in our understanding of filovirus protein structure/function and its impact on antiviral research. Here we focus on the surface glycoprotein GP1,2 and its different roles in filovirus entry. We first describe the latest advances on the characterization of GP gene-overlapping proteins sGP, ssGP and Δ-peptide. Then, we compare filovirus surface GP1,2 proteins in terms of structure, synthesis and function. As they bear potential in drug-design, the discovery of small organic compounds inhibiting filovirus entry is a currently very active field. Although it is at an early stage, the development of antiviral drugs against Ebola and Marburg virus entry might prove essential to reduce outbreak-associated fatality rates through post-exposure treatment of both suspected and confirmed cases. The filovirus surface glycoprotein is the key player protein responsible for viral entry. Secreted forms of the glycoprotein have been suggested to participate to filovirus virus pathogenicity. Recent structural insights of the filovirus surface glycoprotein highlight new antiviral perspectives. Interesting compounds and innovative antiviral strategies emerge from research and development to inhibit filovirus entry.
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18
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Aly MRES, Saad HA, Abdel-Hafez SH. Synthesis, antimicrobial and cytotoxicity evaluation of new cholesterol congeners. Beilstein J Org Chem 2015; 11:1922-32. [PMID: 26664612 PMCID: PMC4661006 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.11.208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
3β-Azidocholest-5-ene (3) and (3β)-3-(prop-2-yn-1-yloxy)cholest-5-ene (10) were prepared as substrates to synthesize a variety of three-motif pharmacophoric conjugates through CuAAC. Basically, these conjugates included cholesterol and 1,2,3-triazole moieties, while the third, the pharmacophore, was either a chalcone, a lipophilic residue or a carbohydrate tag. These compounds were successfully prepared in good yields and characterized by NMR, MS and IR spectroscopic techniques. Chalcone conjugate 6c showed the best antimicrobial activity, while the lactoside conjugate 27 showed the best cytotoxic effect in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Ramadan El Sayed Aly
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Taif University, 21974-Hawyah-Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Applied Science, Port Said University, 42522-Port Said, Egypt
| | - Hosam Ali Saad
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Taif University, 21974-Hawyah-Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44511, Egypt
| | - Shams Hashim Abdel-Hafez
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Taif University, 21974-Hawyah-Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Assuit University, 71516-Assuit, Egypt
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19
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Aly MRES, Saad HA, Mohamed MAM. Click reaction based synthesis, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of new 1,2,3-triazoles. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2015; 25:2824-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.04.096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Revised: 04/25/2015] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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20
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Clinton TR, Weinstock MT, Jacobsen MT, Szabo-Fresnais N, Pandya MJ, Whitby FG, Herbert AS, Prugar LI, McKinnon R, Hill CP, Welch BD, Dye JM, Eckert DM, Kay MS. Design and characterization of ebolavirus GP prehairpin intermediate mimics as drug targets. Protein Sci 2015; 24:446-63. [PMID: 25287718 PMCID: PMC4380977 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2014] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Ebolaviruses are highly lethal filoviruses that cause hemorrhagic fever in humans and nonhuman primates. With no approved treatments or preventatives, the development of an anti-ebolavirus therapy to protect against natural infections and potential weaponization is an urgent global health need. Here, we describe the design, biophysical characterization, and validation of peptide mimics of the ebolavirus N-trimer, a highly conserved region of the GP2 fusion protein, to be used as targets to develop broad-spectrum inhibitors of ebolavirus entry. The N-trimer region of GP2 is 90% identical across all ebolavirus species and forms a critical part of the prehairpin intermediate that is exposed during viral entry. Specifically, we fused designed coiled coils to the N-trimer to present it as a soluble trimeric coiled coil as it appears during membrane fusion. Circular dichroism, sedimentation equilibrium, and X-ray crystallography analyses reveal the helical, trimeric structure of the designed N-trimer mimic targets. Surface plasmon resonance studies validate that the N-trimer mimic binds its native ligand, the C-peptide region of GP2. The longest N-trimer mimic also inhibits virus entry, thereby confirming binding of the C-peptide region during viral entry and the presence of a vulnerable prehairpin intermediate. Using phage display as a model system, we validate the suitability of the N-trimer mimics as drug screening targets. Finally, we describe the foundational work to use the N-trimer mimics as targets in mirror-image phage display, which will be used to identify D-peptide inhibitors of ebolavirus entry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy R Clinton
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of MedicineSalt Lake City, Utah, 84112-5650
| | - Matthew T Weinstock
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of MedicineSalt Lake City, Utah, 84112-5650
| | - Michael T Jacobsen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of MedicineSalt Lake City, Utah, 84112-5650
| | - Nicolas Szabo-Fresnais
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of MedicineSalt Lake City, Utah, 84112-5650,Cardiology Section, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of MedicineSalt Lake City, Utah, 84148
| | - Maya J Pandya
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of MedicineSalt Lake City, Utah, 84112-5650
| | - Frank G Whitby
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of MedicineSalt Lake City, Utah, 84112-5650
| | - Andrew S Herbert
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort DetrickFrederick, Maryland, 21702-5011
| | - Laura I Prugar
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort DetrickFrederick, Maryland, 21702-5011
| | - Rena McKinnon
- D-Peptide Research Division, Navigen, Inc.Salt Lake City, Utah, 84108
| | - Christopher P Hill
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of MedicineSalt Lake City, Utah, 84112-5650
| | - Brett D Welch
- D-Peptide Research Division, Navigen, Inc.Salt Lake City, Utah, 84108
| | - John M Dye
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort DetrickFrederick, Maryland, 21702-5011
| | - Debra M Eckert
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of MedicineSalt Lake City, Utah, 84112-5650,*Correspondence to: Debra M. Eckert; Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 N. Medical Drive East, Rm 4100, Salt Lake City, UT 84112. E-mail: or Michael S. Kay; Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 N. Medical Drive East, Rm 4100, Salt Lake City, UT 84112. E-mail:
| | - Michael S Kay
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of MedicineSalt Lake City, Utah, 84112-5650,*Correspondence to: Debra M. Eckert; Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 N. Medical Drive East, Rm 4100, Salt Lake City, UT 84112. E-mail: or Michael S. Kay; Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 N. Medical Drive East, Rm 4100, Salt Lake City, UT 84112. E-mail:
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21
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Liu N, Tao Y, Brenowitz MD, Girvin ME, Lai JR. Structural and Functional Studies on the Marburg Virus GP2 Fusion Loop. J Infect Dis 2015; 212 Suppl 2:S146-53. [PMID: 25786917 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiv030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Marburg virus (MARV) and the ebolaviruses belong to the family Filoviridae (the members of which are filoviruses) that cause severe hemorrhagic fever. Infection requires fusion of the host and viral membranes, a process that occurs in the host cell endosomal compartment and is facilitated by the envelope glycoprotein fusion subunit, GP2. The N-terminal fusion loop (FL) of GP2 is a hydrophobic disulfide-bonded loop that is postulated to insert and disrupt the host endosomal membrane during fusion. Here, we describe the first structural and functional studies of a protein corresponding to the MARV GP2 FL. We found that this protein undergoes a pH-dependent conformational change, as monitored by circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance. Furthermore, we report that, under low pH conditions, the MARV GP2 FL can induce content leakage from liposomes. The general aspects of this pH-dependent structure and lipid-perturbing behavior are consistent with previous reports on Ebola virus GP2 FL. However, nuclear magnetic resonance studies in lipid bicelles and mutational analysis indicate differences in structure exist between MARV and Ebola virus GP2 FL. These results provide new insight into the mechanism of MARV GP2-mediated cell entry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Liu
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Yisong Tao
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Michael D Brenowitz
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Mark E Girvin
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Jonathan R Lai
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
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22
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Abstract
![]()
The
Ebolaviruses are members of the family Filoviridae (“filoviruses”) and cause severe hemhorragic fever
with human case fatality rates as high as 90%. Infection requires
attachment of the viral particle to cells and triggering of membrane
fusion between the host and viral membranes, a process that occurs
in the host endosome and is facilitated by the envelope glycoprotein
(GP). One potential strategy for therapeutic intervention is the development
of agents (antibodies, peptides, and small molecules) that can interfere
with viral entry aspects such as attachment, uptake, priming, or membrane
fusion. This paper highlights recent developments in the discovery
and evaluation of therapeutic entry inhibitors and identifies opportunities
moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth K. Nyakatura
- Department
of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris
Park Avenue, Bronx, New York 10461, United States
| | - Julia C. Frei
- Department
of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris
Park Avenue, Bronx, New York 10461, United States
| | - Jonathan R. Lai
- Department
of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris
Park Avenue, Bronx, New York 10461, United States
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23
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Li H, Ying T, Yu F, Lu L, Jiang S. Development of therapeutics for treatment of Ebola virus infection. Microbes Infect 2014; 17:109-17. [PMID: 25498866 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2014.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Revised: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 11/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Ebola virus infection can cause Ebola virus disease (EVD). Patients usually show severe symptoms, and the fatality rate can reach up to 90%. No licensed medicine is available. In this review, development of therapeutics for treatment of Ebola virus infection and EVD will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyang Li
- Key Lab of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Tianlei Ying
- Key Lab of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Fei Yu
- Key Lab of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Lab of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Lab of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 130 Dong An Rd., Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China; Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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24
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Pessi A. Cholesterol-conjugated peptide antivirals: a path to a rapid response to emerging viral diseases. J Pept Sci 2014; 21:379-86. [PMID: 25331523 PMCID: PMC7167725 DOI: 10.1002/psc.2706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2014] [Revised: 09/01/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
While it is now possible to identify and genetically fingerprint the causative agents of emerging viral diseases, often with extraordinary speed, suitable therapies cannot be developed with equivalent speed, because drug discovery requires information that goes beyond knowledge of the viral genome. Peptides, however, may represent a special opportunity. For all enveloped viruses, fusion between the viral and the target cell membrane is an obligatory step of the life cycle. Class I fusion proteins harbor regions with a repeating pattern of amino acids, the heptad repeats (HRs), that play a key role in fusion, and HR‐derived peptides such as enfuvirtide, in clinical use for HIV, can block the process. Because of their characteristic sequence pattern, HRs are easily identified in the genome by means of computer programs, providing the sequence of candidate peptide inhibitors directly from genomic information. Moreover, a simple chemical modification, the attachment of a cholesterol group, can dramatically increase the antiviral potency of HR‐derived inhibitors and simultaneously improve their pharmacokinetics. Further enhancement can be provided by dimerization of the cholesterol‐conjugated peptide. The examples reported so far include inhibitors of retroviruses, paramyxoviruses, orthomyxoviruses, henipaviruses, coronaviruses, and filoviruses. For some of these viruses, in vivo efficacy has been demonstrated in suitable animal models. The combination of bioinformatic lead identification and potency/pharmacokinetics improvement provided by cholesterol conjugation may form the basis for a rapid response strategy, where development of an emergency cholesterol‐conjugated therapeutic would immediately follow the availability of the genetic information of a new enveloped virus. Copyright © 2014 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonello Pessi
- PeptiPharma, Viale Città D'Europa 679, 00141, Roma, Italy; JV Bio, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Napoli, Italy; CEINGE, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Napoli, Italy
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