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Liu W, Ding F, Yang W, You W, Zhang L, He W. A Transdermal Prion-Bionics Supermolecule as a RAB3A Antagonist for Enhancing Facial Youthfulness. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2308764. [PMID: 38888508 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202308764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
The mechanism research of skin wrinkles, conducted on volunteers underwent high-intensity desk work and mice subjected to partial sleep deprivation, revealed a significant reduction in dermal thickness associated with the presence of wrinkles. This can be attributed to the activation of facial nerves in a state of hysteria due to an abnormally elevated interaction between SNAP25 and RAB3A proteins involved in the synaptic vesicle cycle (SVC). Facilitated by AI-assisted structural design, a refined peptide called RSIpep is developed to modulate this interaction and normalize SVC. Drawing inspiration from prions, which possess the ability to protect themselves against proteolysis and invade neighboring nerve cells through macropinocytosis, RSIpep is engineered to demonstrate a GSH-responsive reversible self-assembly into a prion-like supermolecule (RSIprion). RSIprion showcases protease resistance, micropinocytosis-dependent cellular internalization, and low adhesion with constituent molecules in the cuticle, thereby endowing it with the transdermic absorption and subsequent biofunction in redressing the frenzied SVC. As a facial mud mask, it effectively reduces periorbital and perinasal wrinkles in the human face. Collectively, RSIprion not only presents a clinical potential as an anti-wrinkle prion-like supermolecule, but also exemplifies a reproducible instance of bionic strategy-guided drug development that bestows transdermal ability upon the pharmaceutical molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjia Liu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
- Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
- Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Surgical Critical Care and Life Support (Xi'an Jiaotong University), Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Fan Ding
- Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Wenguang Yang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, P. R. China
- Department of Talent Highland, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, P. R. China
| | - Weiming You
- National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, P. R. China
| | - Liqiang Zhang
- Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Wangxiao He
- Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, P. R. China
- Department of Talent Highland, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, P. R. China
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2
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Ma XY, Qi CY, Xu XY, Li H, Liu CD, Wen XR, Fu YY, Liu Y, Liang J, Huang CY, Li DD, Li Y, Shen QC, Qi QZ, Zhu G, Wang N, Zhou XY, Song YJ. PRDX1 Interfering Peptide Disrupts Amino Acids 70-90 of PRDX1 to Inhibit the TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathway and Attenuate Neuroinflammation and Ischemic Brain Injury. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04247-9. [PMID: 38780721 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04247-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Ischemic stroke ranks among the leading causes of death and disability in humans and is accompanied by motor and cognitive impairment. However, the precise mechanisms underlying injury after stroke and effective treatment strategies require further investigation. Peroxiredoxin-1 (PRDX1) triggers an extensive inflammatory cascade that plays a pivotal role in the pathology of ischemic stroke, resulting in severe brain damage from activated microglia. In the present study, we used molecular dynamics simulation and nuclear magnetic resonance to detect the interaction between PRDX1 and a specific interfering peptide. We used behavioral, morphological, and molecular experimental methods to demonstrate the effect of PRDX1-peptide on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in mice and to investigate the related mechanism. We found that PRDX1-peptide bound specifically to PRDX1 and improved motor and cognitive functions in I/R mice. In addition, pretreatment with PRDX1-peptide reduced the infarct area and decreased the number of apoptotic cells in the penumbra. Furthermore, PRDX1-peptide inhibited microglial activation and downregulated proinflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α through inhibition of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby attenuating ischemic brain injury. Our findings clarify the precise mechanism underlying PRDX1-induced inflammation after ischemic stroke and suggest that the PRDX1-peptide can significantly alleviate the postischemic inflammatory response by interfering with PRDX1 amino acids 70-90 and thereby inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. Our study provides a theoretical basis for a new therapeutic strategy to treat ischemic stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Yu Ma
- Xuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Transformation, Key Laboratory of Genetic Foundation and Clinical Application, Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Cheng-Yu Qi
- Xuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Transformation, Key Laboratory of Genetic Foundation and Clinical Application, Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Xing-Yi Xu
- Xuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Transformation, Key Laboratory of Genetic Foundation and Clinical Application, Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Hui Li
- Xuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Transformation, Key Laboratory of Genetic Foundation and Clinical Application, Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Chang-Dong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, 00000, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiang-Ru Wen
- Department of Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Yan-Yan Fu
- Department of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Xuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Transformation, Key Laboratory of Genetic Foundation and Clinical Application, Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Jia Liang
- Xuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Transformation, Key Laboratory of Genetic Foundation and Clinical Application, Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Cheng-Yu Huang
- Xuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Transformation, Key Laboratory of Genetic Foundation and Clinical Application, Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Dan-Dan Li
- Xuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Transformation, Key Laboratory of Genetic Foundation and Clinical Application, Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Yan Li
- Xuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Transformation, Key Laboratory of Genetic Foundation and Clinical Application, Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Qian-Cheng Shen
- Xuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Transformation, Key Laboratory of Genetic Foundation and Clinical Application, Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Qian-Zhi Qi
- Xuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Transformation, Key Laboratory of Genetic Foundation and Clinical Application, Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Guang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, 00000, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Nan Wang
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Bioinformation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Xiao-Yan Zhou
- Xuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Transformation, Key Laboratory of Genetic Foundation and Clinical Application, Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China.
| | - Yuan-Jian Song
- Xuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Transformation, Key Laboratory of Genetic Foundation and Clinical Application, Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China.
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Bioinformation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China.
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Bruce A, Adebomi V, Czabala P, Palmer J, McFadden WM, Lorson ZC, Slack RL, Bhardwaj G, Sarafianos SG, Raj M. A Tag-Free Platform for Synthesis and Screening of Cyclic Peptide Libraries. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202320045. [PMID: 38529717 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202320045] [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: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
In the realm of high-throughput screening (HTS), macrocyclic peptide libraries traditionally necessitate decoding tags, essential for both library synthesis and identifying hit peptide sequences post-screening. Our innovation introduces a tag-free technology platform for synthesizing cyclic peptide libraries in solution and facilitates screening against biological targets to identify peptide binders through unconventional intramolecular CyClick and DeClick chemistries (CCDC) discovered through our research. This combination allows for the synthesis of diverse cyclic peptide libraries, the incorporation of various amino acids, and facile linearization and decoding of cyclic peptide binder sequences. Our sensitivity-enhancing derivatization method, utilized in tandem with nano LC-MS/MS, enables the sequencing of peptides even at exceedingly low picomolar concentrations. Employing our technology platform, we have successfully unearthed novel cyclic peptide binders against a monoclonal antibody and the first cyclic peptide binder of HIV capsid protein responsible for viral infections as validated by microscale thermal shift assays (TSA), biolayer interferometry (BLI) and functional assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angele Bruce
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States
| | - Victor Adebomi
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States, 98195
| | - Patrick Czabala
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States
| | - Jonathan Palmer
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States, 98195
| | - William M McFadden
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 1760 Haygood Drive NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, United States
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, United States
| | - Zachary C Lorson
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 1760 Haygood Drive NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, United States
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, United States
| | - Ryan L Slack
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 1760 Haygood Drive NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, United States
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, United States
| | - Gaurav Bhardwaj
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States, 98195
| | - Stefan G Sarafianos
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 1760 Haygood Drive NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, United States
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30322, United States
| | - Monika Raj
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States
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Bian H, Liang X, Lu D, Lin J, Lu X, Jin J, Zhang L, Wu Y, Chen H, Zhang W, Luan X. In Silico Discovery of Stapled Peptide Inhibitor Targeting the Nur77-PPARγ Interaction and Its Anti-Breast-Cancer Efficacy. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2308435. [PMID: 38682467 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202308435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
The binding of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) to the orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 facilitates the ubiquitination and degradation of Nur77, and leads to aberrant fatty acid uptake for breast cancer progression. Because of its crucial role in clinical prognosis, the interaction between Nur77 and PPARγ is an attractive target for anti-breast-cancer therapy. However, developing an inhibitor of the Nur77-PPARγ interaction poses a technical challenge due to the absence of the crystal structure of PPARγ and its corresponding interactive model with Nur77. Here, ST-CY14, a stapled peptide, is identified as a potent modulator of Nur77 with a KD value of 3.247 × 10-8 M by in silico analysis, rational design, and structural modification. ST-CY14 effectively increases Nur77 protein levels by blocking the Nur77-PPARγ interaction, thereby inhibiting lipid metabolism in breast tumor cells. Notably, ST-CY14 significantly suppresses breast cancer growth and bone metastasis in mice. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of exploiting directly Nur77-PPARγ interaction in breast cancer, and generate what to the best knowledge is the first direct inhibitor of the Nur77-PPARγ interaction available for impeding fatty acid uptake and therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiting Bian
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xiaohui Liang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Dong Lu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jiayi Lin
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xinchen Lu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jinmei Jin
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Lijun Zhang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Ye Wu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Hongzhuan Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Weidong Zhang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201203, China
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xin Luan
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research and Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
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5
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Vasseur L, Barbault F, Monari A. Interaction between Yersinia pestis Ail Outer Membrane Protein and the C-Terminal Domain of Human Vitronectin. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:3929-3936. [PMID: 38619541 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is capable of evading the human immune system response by recruiting the plasma circulating vitronectin proteins, which act as a shield and avoid its lysis. Vitronectin recruitment is mediated by its interaction with the bacterial transmembrane protein Ail, protruding from the Y. pestis outer membrane. By using all-atom long-scale molecular dynamic simulations of Ail embedded in a realistic model of the bacterial membrane, we have shown that vitronectin forms a stable complex, mediated by interactions between the disordered moieties of the two proteins. The main amino acids driving the complexation have also been evidenced, thus favoring the possible rational design of specific peptides which, by inhibiting vitronectin recruitment, could act as original antibacterial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurine Vasseur
- Université Paris Cité and CNRS, ITODYS, F-75006 Paris, France
| | | | - Antonio Monari
- Université Paris Cité and CNRS, ITODYS, F-75006 Paris, France
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Vincenzi M, Mercurio FA, Leone M. Virtual Screening of Peptide Libraries: The Search for Peptide-Based Therapeutics Using Computational Tools. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1798. [PMID: 38339078 PMCID: PMC10855943 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the last few decades, we have witnessed growing interest from both academic and industrial laboratories in peptides as possible therapeutics. Bioactive peptides have a high potential to treat various diseases with specificity and biological safety. Compared to small molecules, peptides represent better candidates as inhibitors (or general modulators) of key protein-protein interactions. In fact, undruggable proteins containing large and smooth surfaces can be more easily targeted with the conformational plasticity of peptides. The discovery of bioactive peptides, working against disease-relevant protein targets, generally requires the high-throughput screening of large libraries, and in silico approaches are highly exploited for their low-cost incidence and efficiency. The present review reports on the potential challenges linked to the employment of peptides as therapeutics and describes computational approaches, mainly structure-based virtual screening (SBVS), to support the identification of novel peptides for therapeutic implementations. Cutting-edge SBVS strategies are reviewed along with examples of applications focused on diverse classes of bioactive peptides (i.e., anticancer, antimicrobial/antiviral peptides, peptides blocking amyloid fiber formation).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marilisa Leone
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.V.); (F.A.M.)
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7
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Fang Y, Jiang Y, Wei L, Ma Q, Ren Z, Yuan Q, Wei DQ. DeepProSite: structure-aware protein binding site prediction using ESMFold and pretrained language model. Bioinformatics 2023; 39:btad718. [PMID: 38015872 PMCID: PMC10723037 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btad718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Identifying the functional sites of a protein, such as the binding sites of proteins, peptides, or other biological components, is crucial for understanding related biological processes and drug design. However, existing sequence-based methods have limited predictive accuracy, as they only consider sequence-adjacent contextual features and lack structural information. RESULTS In this study, DeepProSite is presented as a new framework for identifying protein binding site that utilizes protein structure and sequence information. DeepProSite first generates protein structures from ESMFold and sequence representations from pretrained language models. It then uses Graph Transformer and formulates binding site predictions as graph node classifications. In predicting protein-protein/peptide binding sites, DeepProSite outperforms state-of-the-art sequence- and structure-based methods on most metrics. Moreover, DeepProSite maintains its performance when predicting unbound structures, in contrast to competing structure-based prediction methods. DeepProSite is also extended to the prediction of binding sites for nucleic acids and other ligands, verifying its generalization capability. Finally, an online server for predicting multiple types of residue is established as the implementation of the proposed DeepProSite. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The datasets and source codes can be accessed at https://github.com/WeiLab-Biology/DeepProSite. The proposed DeepProSite can be accessed at https://inner.wei-group.net/DeepProSite/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yitian Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Shanghai-Islamabad-Belgrade Joint Innovation Center on Antibacterial Resistances, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200040, China
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Leyi Wei
- School of Software, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250100, China
| | - Qin Ma
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | | | - Qianmu Yuan
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Dong-Qing Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Shanghai-Islamabad-Belgrade Joint Innovation Center on Antibacterial Resistances, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200040, China
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China
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8
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He F, Chai Y, Zeng Z, Lu F, Chen H, Zhu J, Fang Y, Cheng K, Miclet E, Alezra V, Wan Y. Rapid Formation of Intramolecular Disulfide Bridges using Light: An Efficient Method to Control the Conformation and Function of Bioactive Peptides. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:22639-22648. [PMID: 37788450 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c07795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Disulfide bonds are widely found in natural peptides and play a pivotal role in stabilizing their secondary structures, which are highly associated with their biological functions. Herein, we introduce a light-mediated strategy to effectively control the formation of disulfides. Our strategy is based on 2-nitroveratryl (oNv), a widely used photolabile motif, which serves both as a photocaging group and an oxidant (after photolysis). We demonstrated that irradiation of oNv-caged thiols with UV light could release free thiols that are rapidly oxidized by locally released byproduct nitrosoarene, leading to a "break-to-bond" fashion. This strategy is highlighted by the in situ restoration of the antimicrobial peptide tachyplesin I (TPI) from its external disulfide-caged analogue TPI-1. TPI-1 exhibits a distorted structure and a diminished function. However, upon irradiation, the β-hairpin structure and membrane activity of TPI were largely restored via rapid intramolecular disulfide formation. Our study proposes a powerful method to regulate the conformation and function of peptides in a spatiotemporal manner, which has significant potential for the design of disulfide-centered light-responsive systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng He
- National Pharmaceutical Engineering Center for Solid Preparation in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, P. R. China
| | - Yu Chai
- National Pharmaceutical Engineering Center for Solid Preparation in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, P. R. China
| | - Zizhen Zeng
- National Pharmaceutical Engineering Center for Solid Preparation in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, P. R. China
| | - Fangling Lu
- National Pharmaceutical Engineering Center for Solid Preparation in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, P. R. China
| | - Huanwen Chen
- National Pharmaceutical Engineering Center for Solid Preparation in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, P. R. China
| | - Jinhua Zhu
- Institute of TCM, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, P. R. China
| | - Yuanying Fang
- National Pharmaceutical Engineering Center for Solid Preparation in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, P. R. China
| | - Keguang Cheng
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China
| | - Emeric Miclet
- Sorbonne Université, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, Laboratoire des Biomolécules, 4 place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Valérie Alezra
- Laboratoire de Méthodologie, Synthèse et Molécules Thérapeutiques, ICMMO, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay 91400, France
| | - Yang Wan
- National Pharmaceutical Engineering Center for Solid Preparation in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, P. R. China
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Wu D, Li Y, Zheng L, Xiao H, Ouyang L, Wang G, Sun Q. Small molecules targeting protein-protein interactions for cancer therapy. Acta Pharm Sin B 2023; 13:4060-4088. [PMID: 37799384 PMCID: PMC10547922 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.05.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are fundamental to many biological processes that play an important role in the occurrence and development of a variety of diseases. Targeting the interaction between tumour-related proteins with emerging small molecule drugs has become an attractive approach for treatment of human diseases, especially tumours. Encouragingly, selective PPI-based therapeutic agents have been rapidly advancing over the past decade, providing promising perspectives for novel therapies for patients with cancer. In this review we comprehensively clarify the discovery and development of small molecule modulators of PPIs from multiple aspects, focusing on PPIs in disease, drug design and discovery strategies, structure-activity relationships, inherent dilemmas, and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Defa Wu
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, West China Hospital, Sichuan University /West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, West China Hospital, Sichuan University /West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Lang Zheng
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, West China Hospital, Sichuan University /West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Huan Xiao
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, West China Hospital, Sichuan University /West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Liang Ouyang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, West China Hospital, Sichuan University /West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Guan Wang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, West China Hospital, Sichuan University /West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qiu Sun
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, West China Hospital, Sichuan University /West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- West China Medical Publishers, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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10
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Elias M, Gani S, Lerner Y, Yamin K, Tor C, Patel A, Matityahu A, Dessau M, Qvit N, Onn I. Developing a peptide to disrupt cohesin head domain interactions. iScience 2023; 26:107498. [PMID: 37664609 PMCID: PMC10470313 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cohesin mediates the 3-D structure of chromatin and is involved in maintaining genome stability and function. The cohesin core comprises Smc1 and Smc3, elongated-shaped proteins that dimerize through globular domains at their edges, called head and hinge. ATP binding to the Smc heads induces their dimerization and the formation of two active sites, while ATP hydrolysis results in head disengagement. This ATPase cycle is essential for driving cohesin activity. We report on the development of the first cohesin-inhibiting peptide (CIP). The CIP binds Smc3 in vitro and inhibits the ATPase activity of the holocomplex. Treating yeast cells with the CIP prevents cohesin's tethering activity and, interestingly, leads to the accumulation of cohesin on chromatin. CIP3 also affects cohesin activity in human cells. Altogether, we demonstrate the power of peptides to inhibit cohesin in cells and discuss the potential application of CIPs as a therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Elias
- Chromosome Instability and Dynamics Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Samar Gani
- Protein-Protein Interactions Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Yana Lerner
- Protein-Protein Interactions Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Katreen Yamin
- Chromosome Instability and Dynamics Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Chen Tor
- Chromosome Instability and Dynamics Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Adarsh Patel
- The Lab for Structural Biology of Infectious Diseases, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Avi Matityahu
- Chromosome Instability and Dynamics Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Moshe Dessau
- The Lab for Structural Biology of Infectious Diseases, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Nir Qvit
- Protein-Protein Interactions Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Itay Onn
- Chromosome Instability and Dynamics Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
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11
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Mizuno-Kaneko M, Hashimoto I, Miyahara K, Kochi M, Ohashi N, Tsumura K, Suzuki K, Tamura T. Molecular Design of Cyclic Peptides with Cell Membrane Permeability and Development of MDMX-p53 Inhibitor. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:1174-1178. [PMID: 37736191 PMCID: PMC10510666 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclic peptides have been expected to be one of the modalities of intracellular protein-protein interaction (PPI) inhibitors, but they are generally known to have low cell membrane permeability. In this study, we focused on the conformation of cyclic peptides in the cell membrane to determine the requirement for their cell membrane permeability through passive diffusion. Utilizing the requirement, we searched for structures with high affinity for MDMX via computational chemistry and acquired cyclic peptide 19 (Papp = 0.80 × 10-6 cm s-1, IC50 = 0.07 μM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mai Mizuno-Kaneko
- Synthetic
Organic Chemistry Laboratories, FUJIFILM
Corporation, 577, Ushijima, Kaisei-machi, Ashigarakami-gun, Kanagawa 258-8577, Japan
| | - Ichihiko Hashimoto
- Analysis
Technology Center, FUJIFILM Corporation, 210, Nakanuma, Minamiashigara-shi, Kanagawa 250-0193, Japan
| | - Kenta Miyahara
- Analysis
Technology Center, FUJIFILM Corporation, 210, Nakanuma, Minamiashigara-shi, Kanagawa 250-0193, Japan
| | - Masahiro Kochi
- Analysis
Technology Center, FUJIFILM Corporation, 210, Nakanuma, Minamiashigara-shi, Kanagawa 250-0193, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Ohashi
- Analysis
Technology Center, FUJIFILM Corporation, 210, Nakanuma, Minamiashigara-shi, Kanagawa 250-0193, Japan
| | - Kyosuke Tsumura
- Analysis
Technology Center, FUJIFILM Corporation, 210, Nakanuma, Minamiashigara-shi, Kanagawa 250-0193, Japan
| | - Koo Suzuki
- Analysis
Technology Center, FUJIFILM Corporation, 210, Nakanuma, Minamiashigara-shi, Kanagawa 250-0193, Japan
| | - Takashi Tamura
- Synthetic
Organic Chemistry Laboratories, FUJIFILM
Corporation, 577, Ushijima, Kaisei-machi, Ashigarakami-gun, Kanagawa 258-8577, Japan
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12
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Shi C, Kaffy J, Ha-Duong T, Gallard JF, Pruvost A, Mabondzo A, Ciccone L, Ongeri S, Tonali N. Proteolytically Stable Diaza-Peptide Foldamers Mimic Helical Hot Spots of Protein-Protein Interactions and Act as Natural Chaperones. J Med Chem 2023; 66:12005-12017. [PMID: 37632446 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
A novel class of peptidomimetic foldamers based on diaza-peptide units are reported. Circular dichroism, attenuated total reflection -Fourier transform infrared, NMR, and molecular dynamics studies demonstrate that unlike the natural parent nonapeptide, the specific incorporation of one diaza-peptide unit at the N-terminus allows helical folding in water, which is further reinforced by the introduction of a second unit at the C-terminus. The ability of these foldamers to resist proteolysis, to mimic the small helical hot spot of transthyretin-amyloid β (Aβ) cross-interaction, and to decrease pathological Aβ aggregation demonstrates that the introduction of diaza-peptide units is a valid approach for designing mimics or inhibitors of protein-protein interaction and other therapeutic peptidomimetics. This study also reveals that small peptide foldamers can play the same role as physiological chaperone proteins and opens a new way to design inhibitors of amyloid protein aggregation, a hallmark of more than 20 serious human diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenghui Shi
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, BioCIS, Bat. Henri Moissan, 17 av. des Sciences, 91400 Orsay, France
| | - Julia Kaffy
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, BioCIS, Bat. Henri Moissan, 17 av. des Sciences, 91400 Orsay, France
| | - Tâp Ha-Duong
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, BioCIS, Bat. Henri Moissan, 17 av. des Sciences, 91400 Orsay, France
| | - Jean-François Gallard
- Equipe Biologie et Chimie Structurales, Dept Chimie et Biologie Structurales et Analytiques, ICSN CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, 1 avenue de la terrasse, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Alain Pruvost
- CEA, INRAE, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour La Santé, Université Paris-Saclay, SPI 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Aloise Mabondzo
- CEA, INRAE, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour La Santé, Université Paris-Saclay, SPI 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Lidia Ciccone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Sandrine Ongeri
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, BioCIS, Bat. Henri Moissan, 17 av. des Sciences, 91400 Orsay, France
| | - Nicolo Tonali
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, BioCIS, Bat. Henri Moissan, 17 av. des Sciences, 91400 Orsay, France
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13
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Sasaki Y, Saitoh K, Kagohashi K, Ose T, Kawahara S, Kitai Y, Muromoto R, Sekine Y, Ichii M, Yoshimura A, Oritani K, Kashiwakura JI, Matsuda T. STAP-2-Derived Peptide Suppresses TCR-Mediated Signals to Initiate Immune Responses. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 211:755-766. [PMID: 37417746 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Signal-transducing adaptor protein-2 (STAP-2) is an adaptor protein that contains pleckstrin and Src homology 2-like domains, as well as a proline-rich region in its C-terminal region. Our previous study demonstrated that STAP-2 positively regulates TCR signaling by associating with TCR-proximal CD3ζ ITAMs and the lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase. In this study, we identify the STAP-2 interacting regions of CD3ζ ITAMs and show that the STAP-2-derived synthetic peptide (iSP2) directly interacts with the ITAM sequence and blocks the interactions between STAP-2 and CD3ζ ITAMs. Cell-penetrating iSP2 was delivered into human and murine T cells. iSP2 suppressed cell proliferation and TCR-induced IL-2 production. Importantly, iSP2 treatment suppressed TCR-mediated activation of naive CD4+ T cells and decreased immune responses in CD4+ T cell-mediated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. It is likely that iSP2 is a novel immunomodulatory tool that modulates STAP-2-mediated activation of TCR signaling and represses the progression of autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuto Sasaki
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kodai Saitoh
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kota Kagohashi
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Toyoyuki Ose
- Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Shoya Kawahara
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Yuichi Kitai
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Ryuta Muromoto
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Yuichi Sekine
- Department of Cell Biology, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Michiko Ichii
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akihiko Yoshimura
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenji Oritani
- Department of Hematology, International University of Health and Welfare, Narita, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Kashiwakura
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University of Science, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Tadashi Matsuda
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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14
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Bu H, Lan X, Cheng H, Pei C, Ouyang M, Chen Y, Huang X, Yu L, Tan Y. Development of an interfering peptide M1-20 with potent anti-cancer effects by targeting FOXM1. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:533. [PMID: 37598210 PMCID: PMC10439915 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06056-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Disrupting protein-protein interactions (PPIs) has emerged as a promising strategy for cancer drug development. Interfering peptides disrupting PPIs can be rationally designed based on the structures of natural sequences mediating these interactions. Transcription factor FOXM1 overexpresses in multiple cancers and is considered an effective target for cancer therapeutic drug development. Using a rational design approach, we have generated a peptide library from the FOXM1 C-terminal sequence and screened FOXM1-binding peptides. Combining FOXM1 binding and cell inhibitory results, we have obtained a FOXM1-targeting interfering peptide M1-20 that is optimized from the natural parent peptide to the D-retro-inverso peptide. With improved stability characteristics, M1-20 inhibits proliferation and migration, and induces apoptosis of cancer cells. Mechanistically, M1-20 inhibits FOXM1 transcriptional activities by disrupting its interaction between the MuvB complex and the transcriptional co-activator CBP. These are consistent with the results that M1-20 suppresses cancer progression and metastasis without noticeable toxic and side effects in wild-type mice. These findings reveal that M1-20 has the potential to be developed as an anti-cancer drug candidate targeting FOXM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huitong Bu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China
| | - Xianling Lan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China
| | - Haojie Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China
| | - Chaozhu Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China
| | - Min Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China
| | - Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China
| | - Xiaoqin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China
| | - Li Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China
| | - Yongjun Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China.
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15
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Cheng H, Yuan J, Pei C, Ouyang M, Bu H, Chen Y, Huang X, Zhang Z, Yu L, Tan Y. The development of an anti-cancer peptide M1-21 targeting transcription factor FOXM1. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:114. [PMID: 37344857 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01059-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcription factor FOXM1 is a potential target for anti-cancer drug development. An interfering peptide M1-21, targeting FOXM1 and FOXM1-interacting proteins, is developed and its anti-cancer efficacy is evaluated. METHODS FOXM1 C-terminus-binding peptides are screened by in silico protocols from the peptide library of FOXM1 (1-138aa) and confirmed by cellular experiments. The selected peptide is synthesized into its D-retro-inverso (DRI) form by fusing a TAT cell-penetrating sequence. Anti-cancer activities are evaluated in vitro and in vivo with tumor-grafted nude mice, spontaneous breast cancer mice, and wild-type metastasis-tracing mice. Anti-cancer mechanisms are analyzed. Distribution and safety profiles in mice are evaluated. RESULTS With improved stability and cell inhibitory activity compared to the parent peptide, M1-21 binds to multiple regions of FOXM1 and interferes with protein-protein interactions between FOXM1 and its various known partner proteins, including PLK1, LIN9 and B-MYB of the MuvB complex, and β-catenin. Consequently, M1-21 inhibits FOXM1-related transcriptional activities and FOXM1-mediated nuclear importation of β-catenin and β-catenin transcriptional activities. M1-21 inhibits multiple types of cancer (20 µM in vitro or 30 mg/kg in vivo) by preventing proliferation, migration, and WNT signaling. Distribution and safety profiles of M1-21 are favorable (broad distribution and > 15 h stability in mice) and the tested non-severely toxic dose reaches 200 mg/kg in mice. M1-21 also has low hemolytic toxicity and immunogenicity in mice. CONCLUSIONS M1-21 is a promising interfering peptide targeting FOXM1 for the development of anti-cancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haojie Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jie Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chaozhu Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Min Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Huitong Bu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaoqin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhenwang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- Medicine Research Institute, Hubei Key Laboratory of Diabetes and Angiopathy, Xianning Medical College, Hubei University of Science and Technology, 437000, Xianning, Hubei, China.
| | - Li Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Yongjun Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, 410082, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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16
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Bardwell AJ, Paul M, Yoneda KC, Andrade-Ludeña MD, Nguyen OT, Fruman DA, Bardwell L. The WW domain of IQGAP1 binds directly to the p110α catalytic subunit of PI 3-kinase. Biochem J 2023; 480:BCJ20220493. [PMID: 37145016 PMCID: PMC10625650 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
IQGAP1 is a multi-domain cancer-associated protein that serves as a scaffold protein for multiple signaling pathways. Numerous binding partners have been found for the calponin homology, IQ and GAP-related domains in IQGAP1. Identification of a binding partner for its WW domain has proven elusive, however, even though a cell-penetrating peptide derived from this domain has marked anti-tumor activity. Here, using in vitro binding assays with human proteins and co-precipitation from human cells, we show that the WW domain of human IQGAP1 binds directly to the p110α catalytic subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). In contrast, the WW domain does not bind to ERK1/2, MEK1/2, or the p85α regulatory subunit of PI3K when p85α is expressed alone. However, the WW domain is able to bind to the p110α/p85α heterodimer when both subunits are co-expressed, as well as to the mutationally activated p110α/p65α heterodimer. We present a model of the structure of the IQGAP1 WW domain, and experimentally identify key residues in the hydrophobic core and beta strands of the WW domain that are required for binding to p110α. These findings contribute to a more precise understanding of IQGAP1-mediated scaffolding, and of how IQGAP1-derived therapeutic peptides might inhibit tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Jane Bardwell
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, U.S.A
| | - Madhuri Paul
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, U.S.A
| | - Kiku C. Yoneda
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, U.S.A
| | | | - Oanh T. Nguyen
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, U.S.A
| | - David A. Fruman
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, U.S.A
| | - Lee Bardwell
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, U.S.A
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17
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Monti A, Vitagliano L, Caporale A, Ruvo M, Doti N. Targeting Protein-Protein Interfaces with Peptides: The Contribution of Chemical Combinatorial Peptide Library Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24097842. [PMID: 37175549 PMCID: PMC10178479 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24097842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interfaces play fundamental roles in the molecular mechanisms underlying pathophysiological pathways and are important targets for the design of compounds of therapeutic interest. However, the identification of binding sites on protein surfaces and the development of modulators of protein-protein interactions still represent a major challenge due to their highly dynamic and extensive interfacial areas. Over the years, multiple strategies including structural, computational, and combinatorial approaches have been developed to characterize PPI and to date, several successful examples of small molecules, antibodies, peptides, and aptamers able to modulate these interfaces have been determined. Notably, peptides are a particularly useful tool for inhibiting PPIs due to their exquisite potency, specificity, and selectivity. Here, after an overview of PPIs and of the commonly used approaches to identify and characterize them, we describe and evaluate the impact of chemical peptide libraries in medicinal chemistry with a special focus on the results achieved through recent applications of this methodology. Finally, we also discuss the role that this methodology can have in the framework of the opportunities, and challenges that the application of new predictive approaches based on artificial intelligence is generating in structural biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Monti
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council (CNR), 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Luigi Vitagliano
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council (CNR), 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Andrea Caporale
- Institute of Crystallography (IC), National Research Council (CNR), Strada Statale 14 km 163.5, Basovizza, 34149 Triese, Italy
| | - Menotti Ruvo
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council (CNR), 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Nunzianna Doti
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council (CNR), 80131 Napoli, Italy
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18
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Arabi-Jeshvaghani F, Javadi‐Zarnaghi F, Ganjalikhany MR. Analysis of critical protein-protein interactions of SARS-CoV-2 capping and proofreading molecular machineries towards designing dual target inhibitory peptides. Sci Rep 2023; 13:350. [PMID: 36611052 PMCID: PMC9825083 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26778-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as the cause of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic, and its variants, especially those with higher transmissibility and substantial immune evasion, have highlighted the imperative for developing novel therapeutics as sustainable solutions other than vaccination to combat coronaviruses (CoVs). Beside receptor recognition and virus entry, members of the SARS-CoV-2 replication/transcription complex are promising targets for designing antivirals. Here, the interacting residues that mediate protein-protein interactions (PPIs) of nsp10 with nsp16 and nsp14 were comprehensively analyzed, and the key residues' interaction maps, interaction energies, structural networks, and dynamics were investigated. Nsp10 stimulates both nsp14's exoribonuclease (ExoN) and nsp16's 2'O-methyltransferase (2'O-MTase). Nsp14 ExoN is an RNA proofreading enzyme that supports replication fidelity. Nsp16 2'O-MTase is responsible for the completion of RNA capping to ensure efficient replication and translation and escape from the host cell's innate immune system. The results of the PPIs analysis proposed crucial information with implications for designing SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drugs. Based on the predicted shared protein-protein interfaces of the nsp16-nsp10 and nsp14-nsp10 interactions, a set of dual-target peptide inhibitors was designed. The designed peptides were evaluated by molecular docking, peptide-protein interaction analysis, and free energy calculations, and then further optimized by in silico saturation mutagenesis. Based on the predicted evolutionary conservation of the interacted target residues among CoVs, the designed peptides have the potential to be developed as dual target pan-coronavirus inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Arabi-Jeshvaghani
- grid.411750.60000 0001 0454 365XDepartment of Cell and Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Javadi‐Zarnaghi
- grid.411750.60000 0001 0454 365XDepartment of Cell and Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohamad Reza Ganjalikhany
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
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19
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Zeng Z, Zhu J, Deng X, Chen H, Jin Y, Miclet E, Alezra V, Wan Y. Customized Reversible Stapling for Selective Delivery of Bioactive Peptides. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:23614-23621. [PMID: 36530144 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c10949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We have developed a new concept for reversible peptide stapling that involves macrocyclization between two amino groups and decyclization promoted via dual 1,4-elimination. Depending on the trigger moiety, this strategy could be employed to selectively deliver peptides to either intracellular or extracellular targets. As a proof of concept, a peptide inhibitor targeting a lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) was temporarily cyclized to enhance its stability and ability to cross the cell membrane. Once inside the cells, the biologically active linear peptide was released under reducing environment. Moreover, we have developed reversibly stapled peptides using antimicrobial peptides (RStAMPs) whose bioactive helical conformation can be temporarily destabilized by stapling the peptide backbone. The resulting helix-distorted RStAMPs are nontoxic and highly resistant to protease hydrolysis, while at the infection site, RStAMPs can be rapidly activated by the overproduced H2O2 through the dual 1,4-elimination. The latter restored the helical structure of the native peptide and its antimicrobial activity. This work illustrates a highly valuable macrocyclization strategy for the peptide community and should greatly benefit the field of peptide delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zizhen Zeng
- National Pharmaceutical Engineering Center for Solid Preparation in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, P. R. China
| | - Jibao Zhu
- National Pharmaceutical Engineering Center for Solid Preparation in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyu Deng
- Minist Educ, Key Lab Modern Preparat TCM, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, P. R. China
| | - Huanwen Chen
- National Pharmaceutical Engineering Center for Solid Preparation in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, P. R. China
| | - Yi Jin
- National Pharmaceutical Engineering Center for Solid Preparation in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, P. R. China
| | - Emeric Miclet
- Sorbonne Université, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, Laboratoire des Biomolécules, 4 Place Jussieu, Cedex 05, Paris 75252, France
| | - Valérie Alezra
- Laboratoire de Méthodologie, Synthèse et Molécules Thérapeutiques, ICMMO, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris 91400, Orsay, France
| | - Yang Wan
- National Pharmaceutical Engineering Center for Solid Preparation in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, P. R. China
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20
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Haji Abbasi Somehsaraie M, Fathi Vavsari V, Kamangar M, Balalaie S. Chemical Wastes in the Peptide Synthesis Process and Ways to Reduce Them. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH : IJPR 2022; 21:e123879. [PMID: 36942077 PMCID: PMC10024322 DOI: 10.5812/ijpr-123879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In recent decades, a growing interest has been observed among pharmaceutical companies in producing and selling 80 FDA-approved therapeutic peptides. However, there are many drawbacks to peptide synthesis at the academic and industrial scales, involving the use of large amounts of highly hazardous coupling reagents and solvents. This review focuses on hideous and observant wastes produced before, during, and after peptide synthesis and proposes some solutions to reduce them.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vaezeh Fathi Vavsari
- Peptide Chemistry Research Institute, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Kamangar
- Peptide Chemistry Research Institute, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeed Balalaie
- Peptide Chemistry Research Institute, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
- Corresponding Author: Peptide Chemistry Research Institute, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
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21
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Dorgham K, Murail S, Tuffery P, Savier E, Bravo J, Rebollo A. Binding and Kinetic Analysis of Human Protein Phosphatase PP2A Interactions with Caspase 9 Protein and the Interfering Peptide C9h. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14102055. [PMID: 36297489 PMCID: PMC9609871 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14102055] [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: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The serine/threonine phosphatase PP2A and the cysteine protease Caspase 9 are two proteins involved in physiological and pathological processes, including cancer and apoptosis. We previously demonstrated the interaction between Caspase 9 and PP2A and identified the C9h peptide, corresponding to the binding site of Caspase 9 to PP2A. This interfering peptide can modulate Caspase 9/PP2A interaction leading to a strong therapeutic effect in vitro and in vivo in mouse models of tumor progression. In this manuscript, we investigate (I) the peptide binding to PP2A combining docking with molecular dynamics and (II) the secondary structure of the peptide using CD spectroscopy. Additionally, we compare the binding affinity, using biolayer interferometry, of the wild-type protein PP2A with Caspase 9 and vice versa to that observed between the PP2A protein and the interfering peptide C9h. This result strongly encourages the use of peptides as new therapeutics against cancer, as shown for the C9h peptide already in clinical trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Dorgham
- Faculty of Medicine, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CIMI Paris, 91, bd de l’hôpital, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Samuel Murail
- BFA, Université Paris Cité, Inserm 1133, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Pierre Tuffery
- BFA, Université Paris Cité, Inserm 1133, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Eric Savier
- AP-HP, Sorbonne Université, CRSA, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Jeronimo Bravo
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia IBV-CSIC, Jaime Roig, 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Angelita Rebollo
- Faculty of Pharmacy, UTCBS, Université Paris Cité, Inserm 1267, 75006 Paris, France
- Correspondence:
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22
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Chen JN, Jiang F, Wu YD. Accurate Prediction for Protein-Peptide Binding Based on High-Temperature Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:6386-6395. [PMID: 36149394 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The structural characterization of protein-peptide interactions is fundamental to elucidating biological processes and designing peptide drugs. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are extensively used to study biomolecular systems. However, simulating the protein-peptide binding process is usually quite expensive. Based on our previous studies, herein, we propose a simple and effective method to predict the binding site and pose of the peptide simultaneously using high-temperature (high-T) MD simulations with the RSFF2C force field. Thousands of binding events (nonspecific or specific) can be sampled during microseconds of high-T MD. From density-based clustering analysis, the structures of all of the 12 complexes (nine with linear peptides and three with cyclic peptides) can be successfully predicted with root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) < 2.5 Å. By directly simulating the process of the ligand binding onto the receptor, our method approaches experimental precision for the first time, significantly surpassing previous protein-peptide docking methods in terms of accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Nan Chen
- Lab of Computational Chemistry and Drug Design, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Fan Jiang
- Lab of Computational Chemistry and Drug Design, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yun-Dong Wu
- Lab of Computational Chemistry and Drug Design, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, China.,College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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23
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Recalde-Reyes DP, Rodríguez-Salazar CA, Castaño-Osorio JC, Giraldo MI. PD1 CD44 antiviral peptide as an inhibitor of the protein-protein interaction in dengue virus invasion. Peptides 2022; 153:170797. [PMID: 35378215 PMCID: PMC10807690 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2022.170797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) infection is mediated by the interaction between the virus envelope protein and cellular receptors of the host cells. In this study, we designed peptides to inhibit protein-protein interaction between dengue virus and CD44 receptor, which is one of the receptors used by DENV for entry. In silico model complexes were designed between domain III of the viral envelope protein of dengue virus 2 and the domain of human CD44 receptor using ClusPro 2.0, (https://cluspro.bu.edu/login.php), and inhibition peptides were designed with Rosetta Online-Server(http://rosie.rosettacommons.org/peptiderive). We identified one linear antiviral peptide of 18 amino acids derived from the human CD44 receptor, PD1 CD44. It did not show hemolysis or toxicity in HepG2 or BHK cell lines, nor did it stimulate the release of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ, below 100 µM. It had an IC50 of 13.8 µM and maximum effective dose of 54.9 µM evaluated in BHK cells. The decrease in plaque-forming units/mL for DENV1, DENV2, DENV3, and DENV4 was 99.60%, 99.40%, 97.80%, and 70.50%, respectively, and similar results were obtained by RT-qPCR. Non-structural protein 1 release was decreased in pre- and co-treatment but not in post-treatment. Competition assays between the DN59 peptide, envelope protein, and the fragment of domain III "MDKLQLKGMSYSMCTGKF" of the viral envelope of DENV2 and PD1 CD44 showed that our peptide lost its antiviral activity. We demonstrated that our peptide decreased endosome formation, and we propose that it binds to the envelope protein of DENV, inhibiting viral invasion/fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delia Piedad Recalde-Reyes
- Center of Biomedical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia 630003, Colombia; Molecular Biology and Virology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Corporación Universitaria Empresarial Alexander Von Humboldt, Armenia 630003, Colombia.
| | - Carlos Andrés Rodríguez-Salazar
- Center of Biomedical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia 630003, Colombia; Molecular Biology and Virology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Corporación Universitaria Empresarial Alexander Von Humboldt, Armenia 630003, Colombia
| | - Jhon Carlos Castaño-Osorio
- Center of Biomedical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia 630003, Colombia.
| | - María Isabel Giraldo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555,USA.
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24
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Balakrishnan K, Hleihil M, Bhat MA, Ganley RP, Vaas M, Klohs J, Zeilhofer HU, Benke D. Targeting the interaction of GABA B receptors with CaMKII with an interfering peptide restores receptor expression after cerebral ischemia and inhibits progressive neuronal death in mouse brain cells and slices. Brain Pathol 2022; 33:e13099. [PMID: 35698024 PMCID: PMC9836377 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.13099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cerebral ischemia is the leading cause for long-term disability and mortality in adults due to massive neuronal death. Currently, there is no pharmacological treatment available to limit progressive neuronal death after stroke. A major mechanism causing ischemia-induced neuronal death is the excessive release of glutamate and the associated overexcitation of neurons (excitotoxicity). Normally, GABAB receptors control neuronal excitability in the brain via prolonged inhibition. However, excitotoxic conditions rapidly downregulate GABAB receptors via a CaMKII-mediated mechanism and thereby diminish adequate inhibition that could counteract neuronal overexcitation and neuronal death. To prevent the deleterious downregulation of GABAB receptors, we developed a cell-penetrating synthetic peptide (R1-Pep) that inhibits the interaction of GABAB receptors with CaMKII. Administration of this peptide to cultured cortical neurons exposed to excitotoxic conditions restored cell surface expression and function of GABAB receptors. R1-Pep did not affect CaMKII expression or activity but prevented its T286 autophosphorylation that renders it autonomously and persistently active. Moreover, R1-Pep counteracted the aberrant downregulation of G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying K+ channels and the upregulation of N-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, the main effectors of GABAB receptors. The restoration of GABAB receptors activated the Akt survival pathway and inhibited excitotoxic neuronal death with a wide time window in cultured neurons. Restoration of GABAB receptors and neuroprotective activity of R1-Pep was verified by using brain slices prepared from mice after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Treatment with R1-Pep restored normal GABAB receptor expression and GABA receptor-mediated K+ channel currents. This reduced MCAO-induced neuronal excitability and inhibited neuronal death. These results support the hypothesis that restoration of GABAB receptor expression under excitatory conditions provides neuroprotection and might be the basis for the development of a selective intervention to inhibit progressive neuronal death after ischemic stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthik Balakrishnan
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland,Neuroscience Center ZurichUniversity of Zurich and ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland,Present address:
Dewpoint Therapeutics GMBHDresdenGermany
| | - Mohammad Hleihil
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland,Neuroscience Center ZurichUniversity of Zurich and ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Musadiq A. Bhat
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Robert P. Ganley
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Markus Vaas
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland,Present address:
Clinical Trial Center ZurichUniversity Hospital of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Jan Klohs
- Neuroscience Center ZurichUniversity of Zurich and ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland,Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Hanns Ulrich Zeilhofer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland,Neuroscience Center ZurichUniversity of Zurich and ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland,Drug Discovery Network ZurichZurichSwitzerland,Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Dietmar Benke
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland,Neuroscience Center ZurichUniversity of Zurich and ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland,Drug Discovery Network ZurichZurichSwitzerland
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25
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Wang K, Tong H, Gao Y, Xia L, Jin X, Li X, Zeng X, Boldogh I, Ke Y, Ba X. Cell-Penetrating Peptide TAT-HuR-HNS3 Suppresses Proinflammatory Gene Expression via Competitively Blocking Interaction of HuR with Its Partners. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2022; 208:2376-2389. [PMID: 35444028 PMCID: PMC9125198 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines are commonly regulated by RNA-binding proteins at posttranscriptional levels. Human Ag R (HuR)/embryonic lethal abnormal vision-like 1 (ELAVL1) is one of the well-characterized RNA-binding proteins that increases the stability of short-lived mRNAs, which encode proinflammatory mediators. HuR employs its nucleocytoplasmic shuttling sequence (HNS) domain, interacting with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), which accounts for the enhanced poly-ADP-ribosylation and cytoplasmic shuttling of HuR. Also by using its HNS domain, HuR undergoes dimerization/oligomerization, underlying the increased binding of HuR with proinflammatory cytokine/chemokine mRNAs and the disassociation of the miRNA-induced silencing complex from the targets. Therefore, competitively blocking the interactions of HuR with its partners may suppress proinflammatory mediator production. In this study, peptides derived from the sequence of the HuR-HNS domain were synthesized, and their effects on interfering HuR interacting with PARP1 and HuR itself were analyzed. Moreover, cell-penetrating TAT-HuR-HNS3 was delivered into human and mouse cells or administered into mouse lungs with or without exposure of TNF-α or LPS. mRNA levels of proinflammatory mediators as well as neutrophil infiltration were evaluated. We showed that TAT-HuR-HNS3 interrupts HuR-PARP1 interaction and therefore results in a lowered poly-ADP-ribosylation level and decreased cytoplasmic distribution of HuR. TAT-HuR-HNS3 also blocks HuR dimerization and promotes Argonaute 2-based miRNA-induced silencing complex binding to the targets. Moreover, TAT-HuR-HNS3 lowers mRNA stability of proinflammatory mediators in TNF-α-treated epithelial cells and macrophages, and it decreases TNF-α-induced inflammatory responses in lungs of experimental animals. Thus, TAT-HuR-HNS3 is a promising lead peptide for the development of inhibitors to treat inflammation-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Haibin Tong
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China; and
| | - Yitian Gao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China; and
| | - Lan Xia
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xin Jin
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xiaoxue Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xianlu Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Istvan Boldogh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX
| | - Yueshuang Ke
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China;
- School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xueqing Ba
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China;
- School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
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26
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Binette V, Mousseau N, Tuffery P. A Generalized Attraction-Repulsion Potential and Revisited Fragment Library Improves PEP-FOLD Peptide Structure Prediction. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:2720-2736. [PMID: 35298162 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c01293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Fast and accurate structure prediction is essential to the study of peptide function, molecular targets, and interactions and has been the subject of considerable efforts in the past decade. In this work, we present improvements to the popular simplified PEP-FOLD technique for small peptide structure prediction. PEP-FOLD originality is threefold: (i) it uses a predetermined structural alphabet, (ii) it uses a sequential algorithm to reconstruct the tridimensional structures of these peptides in a discrete space using a fragment library, and (iii) it assesses the energy of these structures using a coarse-grained representation in which all of the backbone atoms but the α-hydrogen are present, and the side chain corresponds to a unique bead. In former versions of PEP-FOLD, a van der Waals formulation was used for non-bonded interactions, with each side chain being associated with a fixed radius. Here, we explore the relevance of using instead a generalized formulation in which not only the optimal distance of interaction and the energy at this distance are parameters but also the distance at which the potential is zero. This allows each side chain to be associated with a different radius and potential energy shape, depending on its interaction partner, and in principle to make more effective the coarse-grained representation. In addition, the new PEP-FOLD version is associated with an updated library of fragments. We show that these modifications lead to important improvements for many of the problematic targets identified with the former PEP-FOLD version while maintaining already correct predictions. The improvement is in terms of both model ranking and model accuracy. We also compare the PEP-FOLD enhanced version to state-of-the-art techniques for both peptide and structure predictions: APPTest, RaptorX, and AlphaFold2. We find that the new predictions are superior, in particular with respect to the prediction of small β-targets, to those of APPTest and RaptorX and bring, with its original approach, additional understanding on folded structures, even when less precise than AlphaFold2. With their strong physical influence, the revised structural library and coarse-grained potential offer, however, the means for a deeper understanding of the nature of folding and open a solid basis for studying flexibility and other dynamical properties not accessible to IA structure prediction approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Binette
- Départment de Physique, Université de Montréal, Case postale 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Normand Mousseau
- Départment de Physique, Université de Montréal, Case postale 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Pierre Tuffery
- Université de Paris, INSERM U1133, CNRS UMR 8251, F-75205 Paris, France
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27
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Baylon JL, Ursu O, Muzdalo A, Wassermann AM, Adams GL, Spale M, Mejzlik P, Gromek A, Pisarenko V, Hancharyk D, Jenkins E, Bednar D, Chang C, Clarova K, Glick M, Bitton DA. PepSeA: Peptide Sequence Alignment and Visualization Tools to Enable Lead Optimization. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:1259-1267. [PMID: 35192366 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c01360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic peptides offer potential advantages over small molecules in terms of selectivity, affinity, and their ability to target "undruggable" proteins that are associated with a wide range of pathologies. Despite their importance, current molecular design capabilities that inform medicinal chemistry decisions on peptide programs are limited. More specifically, there are unmet needs for structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis and visualization of linear, cyclic, and cross-linked peptides containing non-natural motifs, which are widely used in drug discovery. To bridge this gap, we developed PepSeA (Peptide Sequence Alignment and Visualization), an open-source, freely available package of sequence-based tools (https://github.com/Merck/PepSeA). PepSeA enables multiple sequence alignment of non-natural amino acids and enhanced visualization with the hierarchical editing language for macromolecules (HELM). Via stepwise SAR analysis of a ChEMBL peptide data set, we demonstrate the utility of PepSeA to accelerate decision making in lead optimization campaigns in pharmaceutical setting. PepSeA represents an initial attempt to expand cheminformatics capabilities for therapeutic peptides and to enable rapid and more efficient design-make-test cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier L Baylon
- Computational and Structural Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Oleg Ursu
- Computational and Structural Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Anja Muzdalo
- R&D Informatics Solutions, MSD Czech Republic s.r.o., Prague 150 00, Czech Republic
| | - Anne Mai Wassermann
- Computational and Structural Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Gregory L Adams
- Computational and Structural Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Martin Spale
- R&D Informatics Solutions, MSD Czech Republic s.r.o., Prague 150 00, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Mejzlik
- AI & Big Data Analytics, MSD Czech Republic s.r.o., Prague 150 00, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Gromek
- R&D Informatics Solutions, MSD Czech Republic s.r.o., Prague 150 00, Czech Republic
| | - Viktor Pisarenko
- R&D Informatics Solutions, MSD Czech Republic s.r.o., Prague 150 00, Czech Republic
| | - Dzianis Hancharyk
- R&D Informatics Solutions, MSD Czech Republic s.r.o., Prague 150 00, Czech Republic
| | - Esteban Jenkins
- Foundational Data and Analytics, MSD Czech Republic s.r.o., Prague 150 00, Czech Republic
| | - David Bednar
- Foundational Data and Analytics, MSD Czech Republic s.r.o., Prague 150 00, Czech Republic
| | - Charlie Chang
- Discovery Research IT, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Kamila Clarova
- R&D Informatics Solutions, MSD Czech Republic s.r.o., Prague 150 00, Czech Republic.,Department of Informatics and Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague 166 28, Czech Republic
| | - Meir Glick
- Computational and Structural Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Danny A Bitton
- R&D Informatics Solutions, MSD Czech Republic s.r.o., Prague 150 00, Czech Republic
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28
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PEPscan: A Broad Spectrum Approach for the Characterization of Protein-Binder Interactions? Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12020178. [PMID: 35204680 PMCID: PMC8961561 DOI: 10.3390/biom12020178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In a previous study, we have shown that PEPscan can provide a cheap and rapid means to identify candidate interfering peptides (IPs), i.e., peptides able to disrupt a target protein-protein interaction. PEPscan was shown to be effective in identifying a limited number of candidate IPs specific to the target interaction. Here, we investigate the results of 14 new PEPscan experiments for protein complexes of known 3D structures. We show that for almost all complexes, PEPscan is able to identify candidate IPs that are located at the protein-protein interface. The information it provides about the binding site seems, however, too ambiguous to be exploited in a simple manner to assist the modeling of protein complexes. Moreover, these candidates are associated with false positives. For these, we suggest they could correspond to non-specific binders, which leaves room for further optimization of the PEPscan protocol. Another unexpected advance comes from the observation of the applicability of PEPscan for polysaccharides and labeled peptides, suggesting that PEPscan could become a large spectrum approach to investigate protein-binder interactions, the binder not necessarily being a protein.
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29
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Xu X, Xiaoqin Zou. Predicting Protein-Peptide Complex Structures by Accounting for Peptide Flexibility and the Physicochemical Environment. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:27-39. [PMID: 34931833 PMCID: PMC9020583 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Predicting protein-peptide complex structures is crucial to the understanding of a vast variety of peptide-mediated cellular processes and to peptide-based drug development. Peptide flexibility and binding mode ranking are the two major challenges for protein-peptide complex structure prediction. Peptides are highly flexible molecules, and therefore, brute-force modeling of peptide conformations of interest in protein-peptide docking is beyond current computing power. Inspired by the fact that the protein-peptide binding process is like protein folding, we developed a novel strategy, named MDockPeP2, which tries to address these challenges using physicochemical information embedded in abundant monomeric proteins with an exhaustive search strategy, in combination with an integrated global search and a local flexible minimization method. Only the peptide sequence and the protein crystal structure are required. The method was systemically assessed using a newly constructed structural database of 89 nonredundant protein-peptide complexes with the peptide sequence length ranging from 5 to 29 in which about half of the peptides are longer than 15 residues. MDockPeP2 yielded a total success rate of 58.4% (70.8, 79.8%) for the bound docking (i.e., with the bound receptor and fully flexible peptides) and 19.0% (44.8, 70.7%) for the challenging unbound docking when top 10 (100, 1000) models were considered for each prediction. MDockPeP2 achieved significantly higher success rates on two other datasets, peptiDB and LEADS-PEP, which contain only short- and medium-size peptides (≤ 15 residues). For peptiDB, our method obtained a success rate of 62.0% for the bound docking and 35.9% for the unbound docking when the top 10 models were considered. For LEADS-PEP, MDockPeP2 achieved a success rate of 69.8% when the top 10 models were considered. The program is available at https://zougrouptoolkit.missouri.edu/mdockpep2/download.html.
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Wang J, Ji M, Yuan B, Luo A, Jiang Z, Zhu T, Liu Y, Kamau PM, Jin L, Lai R. Peptide OPTX-1 From Ornithodoros papillipes Tick Inhibits the pS273R Protease of African Swine Fever Virus. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:778309. [PMID: 34925282 PMCID: PMC8678048 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.778309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large double-stranded DNA virus and causes high mortality in swine. ASFV can be transmitted by biological vectors, including soft ticks in genus Ornithodoros but not hard ticks. However, the underlying mechanisms evolved in the vectorial capacity of soft ticks are not well-understood. Here, we found that a defensin-like peptide toxin OPTX-1 identified from Ornithodoros papillipes inhibits the enzyme activity of the ASFV pS273R protease with a Ki =0.821±0.526μM and shows inhibitory activity on the replication of ASFV. The analogs of OPTX-1 from hard ticks show more inhibitory efficient on pS273R protease. Considering that ticks are blood-sucking animals, we tested the effects of OPTX-1 and its analogs on the coagulation system. At last, top 3D structures represented surface analyses of the binding sites of pS273R with different inhibitors that were obtained by molecular docking based on known structural information. In summary, our study provides evidence that different inhibitory efficiencies between soft tick-derived OPTX-1 and hard tick-derived defensin-like peptides may determine the vector and reservoir competence of ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Wang
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Mengyao Ji
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Bingqian Yuan
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Anna Luo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Zhenyuan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Tengyu Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Peter Muiruri Kamau
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Lin Jin
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Ren Lai
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Sino-African Joint Research Center, and Engineering Laboratory of Peptides, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
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Rabbani G, Ahn SN, Kwon H, Ahmad K, Choi I. Penta-peptide ATN-161 based neutralization mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Biochem Biophys Rep 2021; 28:101170. [PMID: 34778573 PMCID: PMC8578017 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2021.101170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has become a big challenge for the scientific community worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 enters into the host cell by the spike protein binding with an ACE2 receptor present on the host cell. Developing safe and effective inhibitor appears an urgent need to interrupt the binding of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with ACE2 receptor in order to reduce the SARS-CoV-2 infection. We have examined the penta-peptide ATN-161 as potential inhibitor of ACE2 and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding, where ATN-161 has been commercially approved for the safety and possess high affinity and specificity towards the receptor binding domain (RBD) of S1 subunit in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. We carried out experiments and confirmed these phenomena that the virus bindings were indeed minimized. ATN-161 peptide can be used as an inhibitor of protein-protein interaction (PPI) stands as a crucial interaction in biological systems. The molecular docking finding suggests that the binding energy of the ACE2-spike protein complex is reduced in the presence of ATN-161. Protein-protein docking binding energy (-40.50 kcal/mol) of the spike glycoprotein toward the human ACE2 and binding of ATN-161 at their binding interface reduced the biding energy (-26.25 kcal/mol). The finding of this study suggests that ATN-161 peptide can mask the RBD of the spike protein and be considered as a neutralizing candidate by binding with the ACE2 receptor. Peptide-based masking of spike S1 protein (RBD) and its neutralization is a highly promising strategy to prevent virus penetration into the host cell. Thus masking of the RBD leads to the loss of receptor recognition property which can reduce the chance of infection host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gulam Rabbani
- Nano Diagnostics & Devices (NDD), IT-Medical Fusion Center, 350-27 Gumidae-ro, Gumi-si, Gyeongbuk, 39253, Republic of Korea
| | - Saeyoung Nate Ahn
- Nano Diagnostics & Devices (NDD), IT-Medical Fusion Center, 350-27 Gumidae-ro, Gumi-si, Gyeongbuk, 39253, Republic of Korea
- Fuzbien Technology Institute, 13 Taft Court, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Hyunhwa Kwon
- Nano Diagnostics & Devices (NDD), IT-Medical Fusion Center, 350-27 Gumidae-ro, Gumi-si, Gyeongbuk, 39253, Republic of Korea
| | - Khurshid Ahmad
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, 38541, Republic of Korea
| | - Inho Choi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, 38541, Republic of Korea
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Mannes M, Martin C, Menet C, Ballet S. Wandering beyond small molecules: peptides as allosteric protein modulators. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2021; 43:406-423. [PMID: 34857409 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Recent years have seen the rise of allosteric modulation as an innovative approach for drug design and discovery, efforts which culminated in the development of several clinical candidates. Allosteric modulation of many drug targets, including mainly membrane-embedded receptors, have been vastly explored through small molecule screening campaigns, but much less attention has been paid to peptide-based allosteric modulators. However, peptides have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry due to the typically higher potency and selectivity for their targets, as compared with small molecule therapeutics. Therefore, peptides represent one of the most promising classes of molecules that can modulate key biological pathways. Here, we report on the allosteric modulation of proteins (ranging from G protein-coupled receptors to specific protein-protein interactions) by peptides for applications in drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Mannes
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Martin
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Christel Menet
- Confo Therapeutics N.V., Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 30, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Steven Ballet
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, Belgium.
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Mahindra A, Tejeda G, Rossi M, Janha O, Herbert I, Morris C, Morgan DC, Beattie W, Montezano AC, Hudson B, Tobin AB, Bhella D, Touyz RM, Jamieson AG, Baillie GS, Blair CM. Peptides derived from the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding motif bind to ACE2 but do not block ACE2-mediated host cell entry or pro-inflammatory cytokine induction. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260283. [PMID: 34793553 PMCID: PMC8601423 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 viral attachment and entry into host cells is mediated by a direct interaction between viral spike glycoproteins and membrane bound angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The receptor binding motif (RBM), located within the S1 subunit of the spike protein, incorporates the majority of known ACE2 contact residues responsible for high affinity binding and associated virulence. Observation of existing crystal structures of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (SRBD)-ACE2 interface, combined with peptide array screening, allowed us to define a series of linear native RBM-derived peptides that were selected as potential antiviral decoy sequences with the aim of directly binding ACE2 and attenuating viral cell entry. RBM1 (16mer): S443KVGGNYNYLYRLFRK458, RBM2A (25mer): E484GFNCYFPLQSYGFQPTNGVGYQPY508, RBM2B (20mer): F456NCYFPLQSYGFQPTNGVGY505 and RBM2A-Sc (25mer): NYGLQGSPFGYQETPYPFCNFVQYG. Data from fluorescence polarisation experiments suggested direct binding between RBM peptides and ACE2, with binding affinities ranging from the high nM to low μM range (Kd = 0.207-1.206 μM). However, the RBM peptides demonstrated only modest effects in preventing SRBD internalisation and showed no antiviral activity in a spike protein trimer neutralisation assay. The RBM peptides also failed to suppress S1-protein mediated inflammation in an endogenously expressing ACE2 human cell line. We conclude that linear native RBM-derived peptides are unable to outcompete viral spike protein for binding to ACE2 and therefore represent a suboptimal approach to inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 viral cell entry. These findings reinforce the notion that larger biologics (such as soluble ACE2, 'miniproteins', nanobodies and antibodies) are likely better suited as SARS-CoV-2 cell-entry inhibitors than short-sequence linear peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Mahindra
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Gonzalo Tejeda
- Institute of Molecular Cell & Systems Biology, School of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Mario Rossi
- Institute of Molecular Cell & Systems Biology, School of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Omar Janha
- Institute of Molecular Cell & Systems Biology, School of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Imogen Herbert
- MRC Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline Morris
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | | | - Wendy Beattie
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Augusto C. Montezano
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Brian Hudson
- Institute of Molecular Cell & Systems Biology, School of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew B. Tobin
- Institute of Molecular Cell & Systems Biology, School of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - David Bhella
- MRC Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Rhian M. Touyz
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | | | - George S. Baillie
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Connor M. Blair
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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Sgrignani J, Cecchinato V, Fassi EMA, D'Agostino G, Garofalo M, Danelon G, Pedotti M, Simonelli L, Varani L, Grazioso G, Uguccioni M, Cavalli A. Systematic Development of Peptide Inhibitors Targeting the CXCL12/HMGB1 Interaction. J Med Chem 2021; 64:13439-13450. [PMID: 34510899 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
During inflammatory reactions, the production and release of chemotactic factors guide the recruitment of selective leukocyte subpopulations. The alarmin HMGB1 and the chemokine CXCL12, both released in the microenvironment, can form a heterocomplex, which exclusively acts on the chemokine receptor CXCR4, enhancing cell migration, and in some pathological conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis exacerbates the immune response. An excessive cell influx at the inflammatory site can be diminished by disrupting the heterocomplex. Here, we report the computationally driven identification of the first peptide (HBP08) binding HMGB1 and selectively inhibiting the activity of the CXCL12/HMGB1 heterocomplex. Furthermore, HBP08 binds HMGB1 with the highest affinity reported so far (Kd of 0.8 ± 0.4 μM). The identification of this peptide represents an important step toward the development of innovative pharmacological tools for the treatment of severe chronic inflammatory conditions characterized by an uncontrolled immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Sgrignani
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Valentina Cecchinato
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Enrico M A Fassi
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluca D'Agostino
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Maura Garofalo
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Gabriela Danelon
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Mattia Pedotti
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Luca Simonelli
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Luca Varani
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Giovanni Grazioso
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Mariagrazia Uguccioni
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, 20090 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Cavalli
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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35
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Matos B, Howl J, Jerónimo C, Fardilha M. Modulation of serine/threonine-protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) complexes: A promising approach in cancer treatment. Drug Discov Today 2021; 26:2680-2698. [PMID: 34390863 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Despite the availability of numerous therapeutic options, tumor heterogeneity and chemoresistance have limited the success of these treatments, and the development of effective anticancer therapies remains a major focus in oncology research. The serine/threonine-protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) and its complexes have been recognized as potential drug targets. Research on the modulation of PP1 complexes is currently at an early stage, but has immense potential. Chemically diverse compounds have been developed to disrupt or stabilize different PP1 complexes in various cancer types, with the objective of inhibiting disease progression. Beneficial results obtained in vitro now require further pre-clinical and clinical validation. In conclusion, the modulation of PP1 complexes seems to be a promising, albeit challenging, therapeutic strategy for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Matos
- Laboratory of Signal Transduction, Department of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine-iBiMED, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, IPO Porto Research Center (CI-IPOP), Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto (IPO Porto), 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
| | - John Howl
- Molecular Pharmacology Group, Research Institute in Healthcare Science, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, UK
| | - Carmen Jerónimo
- Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, IPO Porto Research Center (CI-IPOP), Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto (IPO Porto), 4200-072 Porto, Portugal; Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), 4050-513 Porto, Portugal
| | - Margarida Fardilha
- Laboratory of Signal Transduction, Department of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine-iBiMED, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
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36
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Jiang Y, Liu S, Tian G, Cheung HJH, Li X, Li XD. Concise solid-phase synthesis enables derivatisation of YEATS domain cyclopeptide inhibitors for improved cellular uptake. Bioorg Med Chem 2021; 45:116342. [PMID: 34364221 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2021.116342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
YEATS domains, which are newly identified epigenetic readers of histone lysine acetylation and crotonylation, have emerged as promising anti-cancer drug targets. We recently developed AF9 YEATS domain-selective cyclopeptide inhibitors. However, the cumbersome and time-consuming synthesis of the cyclopeptides limited further structural derivatisation and applications. Here, we reported a concise method for the solid-phase synthesis of the cyclopeptides, which substantially reduced the amount of time required for the preparation of the cyclopeptides and led to a higher overall yield. Moreover, this new synthetic route also allowed further derivatisation of the cyclopeptides with various functional modules, including fluorescent dye and cell-penetrating peptide. We demonstrated that the conjugation of the cyclopeptide with cell-penetrating peptide TAT led to a significantly increased cellular uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixiang Jiang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sha Liu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Gaofei Tian
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hayden Jit Hei Cheung
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Xiang David Li
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
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37
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Roesner S, Beadle JD, Tam LKB, Wilkening I, Clarkson GJ, Raubo P, Shipman M. Development of oxetane modified building blocks for peptide synthesis. Org Biomol Chem 2021; 18:5400-5405. [PMID: 32618315 DOI: 10.1039/d0ob01208d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The synthesis and use of oxetane modified dipeptide building blocks in solution and solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) is reported. The preparation of building blocks containing non-glycine residues at the N-terminus in a stereochemically controlled manner is challenging. Here, a practical 4-step route to such building blocks is demonstrated, through the synthesis of dipeptides containing contiguous alanine residues. The incorporation of these new derivatives at specific sites along the backbone of an alanine-rich peptide sequence containing eighteen amino acids is demonstrated via solid-phase peptide synthesis. Additionally, new methods to enable the incorporation of all 20 of the proteinogenic amino acids into such dipeptide building blocks are reported through modifications of the synthetic route (for Cys and Met) and by changes to the protecting group strategy (for His, Ser and Thr).
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Roesner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
| | - Jonathan D Beadle
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
| | - Leo K B Tam
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
| | - Ina Wilkening
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
| | - Guy J Clarkson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
| | - Piotr Raubo
- Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Michael Shipman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
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38
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Bouvier B. Protein-Protein Interface Topology as a Predictor of Secondary Structure and Molecular Function Using Convolutional Deep Learning. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:3292-3303. [PMID: 34225449 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
To power the specific recognition and binding of protein partners into functional complexes, a wealth of information about the structure and function of the partners is necessarily encoded into the global shape of protein-protein interfaces and their local topological features. To identify whether this is the case, this study uses convolutional deep learning methods (typically leveraged for 2D image recognition) on 3D voxel representations of protein-protein interfaces colored by burial depth. A novel two-stage network fed with voxelizations of each interface at two distinct resolutions achieves balance between performance and computational cost. From the shape of the interfaces, the network tries to predict the presence of secondary structure motifs at the interface and the molecular function of the corresponding complex. Secondary structure and certain classes of function are found to be very well predicted, validating the hypothesis that interface shape is a conveyor of higher-level information. Interface patterns triggering the recognition of specific classes are also identified and described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Bouvier
- Laboratoire de Glycochimie, des Antimicrobiens et des Agroressources, CNRS UMR7378/Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 10 rue Baudelocque, 80039 Amiens Cedex, France
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Photoreceptor Phosphodiesterase (PDE6): Structure, Regulatory Mechanisms, and Implications for Treatment of Retinal Diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1371:33-59. [PMID: 34170501 DOI: 10.1007/5584_2021_649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The photoreceptor phosphodiesterase (PDE6) is a member of large family of Class I phosphodiesterases responsible for hydrolyzing the second messengers cAMP and cGMP. PDE6 consists of two catalytic subunits and two inhibitory subunits that form a tetrameric protein. PDE6 is a peripheral membrane protein that is localized to the signal-transducing compartment of rod and cone photoreceptors. As the central effector enzyme of the G-protein coupled visual transduction pathway, activation of PDE6 catalysis causes a rapid decrease in cGMP levels that results in closure of cGMP-gated ion channels in the photoreceptor plasma membrane. Because of its importance in the phototransduction pathway, mutations in PDE6 genes result in various retinal diseases that currently lack therapeutic treatment strategies due to inadequate knowledge of the structure, function, and regulation of this enzyme. This review focuses on recent progress in understanding the structure of the regulatory and catalytic domains of the PDE6 holoenzyme, the central role of the multi-functional inhibitory γ-subunit, the mechanism of activation by the heterotrimeric G protein, transducin, and future directions for pharmacological interventions to treat retinal degenerative diseases arising from mutations in the PDE6 genes.
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Pepscan Approach for the Identification of Protein-Protein Interfaces: Lessons from Experiment. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11060772. [PMID: 34063976 PMCID: PMC8224071 DOI: 10.3390/biom11060772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
PEPscan is an old approach that has recently gained renewed interest for the identification of interfering peptides (IPs), i.e., peptides able to interfere with protein-protein interactions (PPIs). Its principle is to slice a protein sequence as a series of short overlapping peptides that are synthesized on a peptide array and tested for their ability to bind a partner, with positive spots corresponding to candidate IPs. PEPscan has been applied with a rather large success in various contexts, but the structural determinants underlying this success remain obscure. Here, we analyze the results of 14 PEPscan experiments, and confront the in vitro results with the available structural information. PEPscan identifies candidate IPs in limited numbers that in all cases correspond to solvent-accessible regions of the structures, their location at the protein-protein interface remaining to be further demonstrated. A strong point of PEPscan seems to be its ability to identify specific IPs. IPs identified from the same protein differ depending on the target PPI, and correspond to patches not frequently involved in the interactions seen in the 3D structures available. Overall, PEPscan seems to provide a cheap and rapid manner to identify candidate IPs, that also comes with room for improvement.
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Perez JJ, Perez RA, Perez A. Computational Modeling as a Tool to Investigate PPI: From Drug Design to Tissue Engineering. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:681617. [PMID: 34095231 PMCID: PMC8173110 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.681617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) mediate a large number of important regulatory pathways. Their modulation represents an important strategy for discovering novel therapeutic agents. However, the features of PPI binding surfaces make the use of structure-based drug discovery methods very challenging. Among the diverse approaches used in the literature to tackle the problem, linear peptides have demonstrated to be a suitable methodology to discover PPI disruptors. Unfortunately, the poor pharmacokinetic properties of linear peptides prevent their direct use as drugs. However, they can be used as models to design enzyme resistant analogs including, cyclic peptides, peptide surrogates or peptidomimetics. Small molecules have a narrower set of targets they can bind to, but the screening technology based on virtual docking is robust and well tested, adding to the computational tools used to disrupt PPI. We review computational approaches used to understand and modulate PPI and highlight applications in a few case studies involved in physiological processes such as cell growth, apoptosis and intercellular communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Perez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roman A Perez
- Bioengineering Institute of Technology, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Sant Cugat, Spain
| | - Alberto Perez
- The Quantum Theory Project, Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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Lukinović V, Biggar KK. Deconvoluting complex protein interaction networks through reductionist strategies in peptide biochemistry: Modern approaches and research questions. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2021; 256:110616. [PMID: 34000427 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2021.110616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Following the decoding of the first human genome, researchers have vastly improved their understanding of cell biology and its regulation. As a result, it has become clear that it is not merely genetic information, but the aberrant changes in the functionality and connectivity of its encoded proteins that drive cell response to periods of stress and external cues. Therefore, proper utilization of refined methods that help to describe protein signalling or regulatory networks (i.e., functional connectivity), can help us understand how change in the signalling landscape effects the cell. However, given the vast complexity in 'how and when' proteins communicate or interact with each other, it is extremely difficult to define, characterize, and understand these interaction networks in a tangible manner. Herein lies the challenge of tackling the functional proteome; its regulation is encoded in multiple layers of interaction, chemical modification and cell compartmentalization. To address and refine simple research questions, modern reductionist strategies in protein biochemistry have successfully used peptide-based experiments; their summation helping to simplify the overall complexity of these protein interaction networks. In this way, peptides are powerful tools used in fundamental research that can be readily applied to comparative biochemical research. Understanding and defining how proteins interact is one of the key aspects towards understanding how the proteome functions. To date, reductionist peptide-based research has helped to address a wide range of proteome-related research questions, including the prediction of enzymes substrates, identification of posttranslational modifications, and the annotation of protein interaction partners. Peptide arrays have been used to identify the binding specificity of reader domains, which are able to recognise the posttranslational modifications; forming dynamic protein interactions that are dependent on modification state. Finally, representing one of the fastest growing classes of inhibitor molecules, peptides are now begin explored as "disruptors" of protein-protein interactions or enzyme activity. Collectively, this review will discuss the use of peptides, peptide arrays, peptide-oriented computational biochemistry as modern reductionist strategies in deconvoluting the functional proteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Lukinović
- Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Kyle K Biggar
- Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada.
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Hashemi ZS, Zarei M, Fath MK, Ganji M, Farahani MS, Afsharnouri F, Pourzardosht N, Khalesi B, Jahangiri A, Rahbar MR, Khalili S. In silico Approaches for the Design and Optimization of Interfering Peptides Against Protein-Protein Interactions. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:669431. [PMID: 33996914 PMCID: PMC8113820 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.669431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Large contact surfaces of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) remain to be an ongoing issue in the discovery and design of small molecule modulators. Peptides are intrinsically capable of exploring larger surfaces, stable, and bioavailable, and therefore bear a high therapeutic value in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. Given these promising properties, a long way has been covered in the field of targeting PPIs via peptide design strategies. In silico tools have recently become an inevitable approach for the design and optimization of these interfering peptides. Various algorithms have been developed to scrutinize the PPI interfaces. Moreover, different databases and software tools have been created to predict the peptide structures and their interactions with target protein complexes. High-throughput screening of large peptide libraries against PPIs; "hotspot" identification; structure-based and off-structure approaches of peptide design; 3D peptide modeling; peptide optimization strategies like cyclization; and peptide binding energy evaluation are among the capabilities of in silico tools. In the present study, the most recent advances in the field of in silico approaches for the design of interfering peptides against PPIs will be reviewed. The future perspective of the field and its advantages and limitations will also be pinpointed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Sadat Hashemi
- ATMP Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahboubeh Zarei
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohsen Karami Fath
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Ganji
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahboube Shahrabi Farahani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Afsharnouri
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Navid Pourzardosht
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
- Department of Biochemistry, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Bahman Khalesi
- Department of Research and Production of Poultry Viral Vaccine, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization, Karaj, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Jahangiri
- Applied Microbiology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Rahbar
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Saeed Khalili
- Department of Biology Sciences, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran
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Photoreceptor phosphodiesterase (PDE6): activation and inactivation mechanisms during visual transduction in rods and cones. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1377-1391. [PMID: 33860373 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02562-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Rod and cone photoreceptors of the vertebrate retina utilize cGMP as the primary intracellular messenger for the visual signaling pathway that converts a light stimulus into an electrical response. cGMP metabolism in the signal-transducing photoreceptor outer segment reflects the balance of cGMP synthesis (catalyzed by guanylyl cyclase) and degradation (catalyzed by the photoreceptor phosphodiesterase, PDE6). Upon light stimulation, rapid activation of PDE6 by the heterotrimeric G-protein (transducin) triggers a dramatic drop in cGMP levels that lead to cell hyperpolarization. Following cessation of the light stimulus, the lifetime of activated PDE6 is also precisely regulated by additional processes. This review summarizes recent advances in the structural characterization of the rod and cone PDE6 catalytic and regulatory subunits in the context of previous biochemical studies of the enzymological properties and allosteric regulation of PDE6. Emphasis is given to recent advances in understanding the structural and conformational changes underlying the mechanism by which the activated transducin α-subunit binds to-and relieves inhibition of-PDE6 catalysis that is controlled by its intrinsically disordered, inhibitory γ-subunit. The role of the regulator of G-protein signaling 9-1 (RGS9-1) in regulating the lifetime of the transducin-PDE6 is also briefly covered. The therapeutic potential of pharmacological compounds acting as inhibitors or activators targeting PDE6 is discussed in the context of inherited retinal diseases resulting from mutations in rod and cone PDE6 genes as well as other inherited defects that arise from excessive cGMP accumulation in retinal photoreceptor cells.
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Kahan R, Worm DJ, de Castro GV, Ng S, Barnard A. Modulators of protein-protein interactions as antimicrobial agents. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:387-409. [PMID: 34458791 PMCID: PMC8341153 DOI: 10.1039/d0cb00205d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-Protein interactions (PPIs) are involved in a myriad of cellular processes in all living organisms and the modulation of PPIs is already under investigation for the development of new drugs targeting cancers, autoimmune diseases and viruses. PPIs are also involved in the regulation of vital functions in bacteria and, therefore, targeting bacterial PPIs offers an attractive strategy for the development of antibiotics with novel modes of action. The latter are urgently needed to tackle multidrug-resistant and multidrug-tolerant bacteria. In this review, we describe recent developments in the modulation of PPIs in pathogenic bacteria for antibiotic development, including advanced small molecule and peptide inhibitors acting on bacterial PPIs involved in division, replication and transcription, outer membrane protein biogenesis, with an additional focus on toxin-antitoxin systems as upcoming drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashi Kahan
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London 82 Wood Lane London W12 0BZ UK
| | - Dennis J Worm
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London 82 Wood Lane London W12 0BZ UK
| | - Guilherme V de Castro
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London 82 Wood Lane London W12 0BZ UK
| | - Simon Ng
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London 82 Wood Lane London W12 0BZ UK
| | - Anna Barnard
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London 82 Wood Lane London W12 0BZ UK
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Structural Characterization of Receptor-Receptor Interactions in the Allosteric Modulation of G Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR) Dimers. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22063241. [PMID: 33810175 PMCID: PMC8005122 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22063241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) oligomerization, while contentious, continues to attract the attention of researchers. Numerous experimental investigations have validated the presence of GPCR dimers, and the relevance of dimerization in the effectuation of physiological functions intensifies the attractiveness of this concept as a potential therapeutic target. GPCRs, as a single entity, have been the main source of scrutiny for drug design objectives for multiple diseases such as cancer, inflammation, cardiac, and respiratory diseases. The existence of dimers broadens the research scope of GPCR functions, revealing new signaling pathways that can be targeted for disease pathogenesis that have not previously been reported when GPCRs were only viewed in their monomeric form. This review will highlight several aspects of GPCR dimerization, which include a summary of the structural elucidation of the allosteric modulation of class C GPCR activation offered through recent solutions to the three-dimensional, full-length structures of metabotropic glutamate receptor and γ-aminobutyric acid B receptor as well as the role of dimerization in the modification of GPCR function and allostery. With the growing influence of computational methods in the study of GPCRs, we will also be reviewing recent computational tools that have been utilized to map protein-protein interactions (PPI).
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LncRNA SPOCD1-AS from ovarian cancer extracellular vesicles remodels mesothelial cells to promote peritoneal metastasis via interacting with G3BP1. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2021; 40:101. [PMID: 33726799 PMCID: PMC7968157 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-01899-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background Metastasis is the key cause of death in ovarian cancer patients. To figure out the biological nature of cancer metastasis is essential for developing effective targeted therapy. Here we investigate how long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) SPOCD1-AS from ovarian cancer extracellular vesicles (EVs) remodel mesothelial cells through a mesothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (MMT) manner and facilitate peritoneal metastasis. Methods EVs purified from ovarian cancer cells and ascites of patients were applied to mesothelial cells. The MMT process of mesothelial cells was assessed by morphology observation, western blot analysis, migration assay and adhesion assay. Altered lncRNAs of EV-treated mesothelial cells were screened by RNA sequencing and identified by qRT-PCR. SPOCD1-AS was overexpressed or silenced by overexpression lentivirus or shRNA, respectively. RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation assays were conducted to reveal the mechanism by which SPOCD1-AS remodeled mesothelial cells. Interfering peptides were synthesized and applied. Ovarian cancer orthotopic implantation mouse model was established in vivo. Results We found that ovarian cancer-secreted EVs could be taken into recipient mesothelial cells, induce the MMT phenotype and enhance cancer cell adhesion to mesothelial cells. Furthermore, SPOCD1-AS embedded in ovarian cancer-secreted EVs was transmitted to mesothelial cells to induce the MMT process and facilitate peritoneal colonization in vitro and in vivo. SPOCD1-AS induced the MMT process of mesothelial cells via interacting with G3BP1 protein. Additionally, G3BP1 interfering peptide based on the F380/F382 residues was able to block SPOCD1-AS/G3BP1 interaction, inhibit the MMT phenotype of mesothelial cells, and diminish peritoneal metastasis in vivo. Conclusions Our findings elucidate the mechanism associated with EVs and their cargos in ovarian cancer peritoneal metastasis and may provide a potential approach for metastatic ovarian cancer therapeutics. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-021-01899-6.
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Pal S, Prabhakaran EN. Trimodular Solution‐Phase Protocol for Rapid Large‐Scale Synthesis of Hydrogen Bond Surrogate‐Constrained α‐Helicomimics. European J Org Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.202001359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sunit Pal
- Department of Organic Chemistry Indian Institute of Science Bangalore Karnataka 560012 India
| | - Erode N. Prabhakaran
- Department of Organic Chemistry Indian Institute of Science Bangalore Karnataka 560012 India
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Shin D, Seo J. Tag‐Assisted Liquid‐Phase Synthesis of Peptoids. B KOREAN CHEM SOC 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/bkcs.12223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dongmin Shin
- Department of Chemistry Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology Gwangju 61005 Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwon Seo
- Department of Chemistry Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology Gwangju 61005 Republic of Korea
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50
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Zhang J, Yuan J, Li Z, Fu C, Xu M, Yang J, Jiang X, Zhou B, Ye X, Xu C. Exploring and exploiting plant cyclic peptides for drug discovery and development. Med Res Rev 2021; 41:3096-3117. [PMID: 33599316 DOI: 10.1002/med.21792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Ever since the discovery of insulin, natural peptides have become an important resource for therapeutic development. Decades of research has led to the discovery of a long list of peptide drugs with broad applications in clinics, from antibiotics to hypertension treatment to pain management. Many of these US FDA-approved peptide drugs are derived from microorganisms and animals. By contrast, the great potential of plant cyclic peptides as therapeutics remains largely unexplored. These macrocyclic peptides typically have rigid structures, good bioavailability and membrane permeability, making them appealing candidates for drug development and engineering. In this review, we introduce the three major classes of plant cyclic peptides and summarize their potential medical applications. We discuss how we can leverage the genome information of many different plants to quickly search for new cyclic peptides and how we can take advantage of the insights gained from their biosynthetic pathways to transform the process of production and drug development. These recent developments have provided a new angle for exploring and exploiting plant cyclic peptides, and we believe that many more peptide drugs derived from plants are about to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Zhang
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.,Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Postdoctoral Research Station, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jimin Yuan
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhijie Li
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Chunjin Fu
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Menglong Xu
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xin Jiang
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Boping Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiufeng Ye
- Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Chengchao Xu
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.,Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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