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Seixas Feio JA, de Oliveira ECL, de Sales CDS, da Costa KS, e Lima AHL. Investigating molecular descriptors in cell-penetrating peptides prediction with deep learning: Employing N, O, and hydrophobicity according to the Eisenberg scale. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0305253. [PMID: 38870192 PMCID: PMC11175476 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305253] [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: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides comprise a group of molecules that can naturally cross the lipid bilayer membrane that protects cells, sharing physicochemical and structural properties, and having several pharmaceutical applications, particularly in drug delivery. Investigations of molecular descriptors have provided not only an improvement in the performance of classifiers but also less computational complexity and an enhanced understanding of membrane permeability. Furthermore, the employment of new technologies, such as the construction of deep learning models using overfitting treatment, promotes advantages in tackling this problem. In this study, the descriptors nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrophobicity on the Eisenberg scale were investigated, using the proposed ConvBoost-CPP composed of an improved convolutional neural network with overfitting treatment and an XGBoost model with adjusted hyperparameters. The results revealed favorable to the use of ConvBoost-CPP, having as input nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrophobicity together with ten other descriptors previously investigated in this research line, showing an increase in accuracy from 88% to 91.2% in cross-validation and 82.6% to 91.3% in independent test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Auzier Seixas Feio
- Laboratório de Inteligência Computacional e Pesquisa Operacional, Campus Belém, Instituto de Tecnologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Pará, Brazil
| | - Ewerton Cristhian Lima de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Inteligência Computacional e Pesquisa Operacional, Campus Belém, Instituto de Tecnologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Pará, Brazil
- Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Claudomiro de Souza de Sales
- Laboratório de Inteligência Computacional e Pesquisa Operacional, Campus Belém, Instituto de Tecnologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Pará, Brazil
| | - Kauê Santana da Costa
- Laboratório de Simulação Computacional, Campus Marechal Rondom, Instituto de Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Santarém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Anderson Henrique Lima e Lima
- Laboratório de Planejamento e Desenvolvimento de Fármacos, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
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2
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Rohira H, Shankar S, Yadav S, Srivastava PP, Minocha S, Vaddavalli PK, Shah SG, Chugh A. RiTe conjugate mediated corneal collagen crosslinking, a novel therapeutic intervention for keratoconus - in vitro and in vivo study. Int J Pharm 2024; 656:124092. [PMID: 38583820 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124092] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) is an effective method to halt the disease progression of keratoconus, a progressive corneal dystrophy leading to cone shaped cornea. Despite the efficacy of standard protocol, the concerning step of this procedure is epithelial debridement performed to facilitate the entry of riboflavin drug. Riboflavin, a key molecule in CXL protocol, is a sparsely permeable hydrophilic drug in corneal tissues. The present study has employed cell penetrating peptide (CPP), Tat2, to enhance the penetration of riboflavin molecule, and thereby improve currently followed CXL protocol. This study demonstrates approximately two-fold enhanced uptake of CPP riboflavin conjugate, Tat2riboflavin-5'Phosphate (RiTe conjugate), both in vitro and in vivo. Two different CXL protocols (Epi ON and Epi OFF) have been introduced and implemented in rabbit corneas using RiTe conjugate in the present study. The standard and RiTe conjugate mediated CXL procedures exhibited an equivalent extent of crosslinking in both the methods. Reduced keratocyte loss and no endothelial damage in RiTe conjugate mediated CXL further ascertains the safety of the proposed CXL protocols. Therefore, RiTe conjugate mediated CXL protocols present as potential alternatives to the standard keratoconus treatment in providing equally effective, less invasive and patient compliant treatment modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harsha Rohira
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Sujithra Shankar
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Shikha Yadav
- National Institute of Biologicals, NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh 201309, India
| | - Priyanka P Srivastava
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Shilpi Minocha
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | | | - Sushmita G Shah
- Dr C M Shah Memorial Charitable Trust - Netra Mandir, Madona Colony Road, Borivali West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400092, India.
| | - Archana Chugh
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India.
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3
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Saraswat S, Chugh A. Engraulisin: A novel marine derived cell penetrating peptide with activity against drug resistant bacteria. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2024; 1866:184255. [PMID: 37995845 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2023.184255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Cell penetrating peptides (CPP) with their intrinsic ability to penetrate plasma membranes facilitate intracellular uptake of various macromolecules. Although a substantial number of CPPs have been reported over the last three decades, the number is still inadequate when compared to the theoretically feasible peptides with similar physicochemical composition. Marine organisms, due to their hostile environment, are an immense source of several high-valued therapeutically relevant peptides. Various marine derived antibacterial, antimycotic and anticancer peptides have demonstrated improved activity in comparison to peptides of terrestrial origin. While a significant number of marine bioactive peptides exist, cell penetrating peptides from marine organisms remain unravelled. In this study, we report Engraulisin from Engraulis japonicus, a computationally derived novel cell penetrating peptide of marine origin. Engraulisin manifest successful uptake in mammalian cells at 5 μM concentration with negligible cytotoxicity observed through MTT assay. Analysis of its cellular uptake mechanism revealed significant inhibition at 4 °C suggesting endocytosis as the major route of cellular entry. Interestingly, the novel peptide also demonstrated selective antimicrobial activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Additionally, molecular dynamics simulation with POPC and POPG bilayer system unveiled significance of positively charged residues in forming a stable membrane interaction. Engraulisin represents a novel marine-derived cell penetrating peptide which can be explored for cellular delivery of pharmaceutically relevant molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurabh Saraswat
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India.
| | - Archana Chugh
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India.
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4
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Morais KLP, Ciccone L, Stura E, Alvarez-Flores MP, Mourier G, Driessche MV, Sciani JM, Iqbal A, Kalil SP, Pereira GJ, Marques-Porto R, Cunegundes P, Juliano L, Servent D, Chudzinski-Tavassi AM. Structural and functional properties of the Kunitz-type and C-terminal domains of Amblyomin-X supporting its antitumor activity. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1072751. [PMID: 36845546 PMCID: PMC9948614 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1072751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Amblyomin-X is a Kunitz-type FXa inhibitor identified through the transcriptome analysis of the salivary gland from Amblyomma sculptum tick. This protein consists of two domains of equivalent size, triggers apoptosis in different tumor cell lines, and promotes regression of tumor growth, and reduction of metastasis. To study the structural properties and functional roles of the N-terminal (N-ter) and C-terminal (C-ter) domains of Amblyomin-X, we synthesized them by solid-phase peptide synthesis, solved the X-Ray crystallographic structure of the N-ter domain, confirming its Kunitz-type signature, and studied their biological properties. We show here that the C-ter domain is responsible for the uptake of Amblyomin-X by tumor cells and highlight the ability of this domain to deliver intracellular cargo by the strong enhancement of the intracellular detection of molecules with low cellular-uptake efficiency (p15) after their coupling with the C-ter domain. In contrast, the N-ter Kunitz domain of Amblyomin-X is not capable of crossing through the cell membrane but is associated with tumor cell cytotoxicity when it is microinjected into the cells or fused to TAT cell-penetrating peptide. Additionally, we identify the minimum length C-terminal domain named F2C able to enter in the SK-MEL-28 cells and induces dynein chains gene expression modulation, a molecular motor that plays a role in the uptake and intracellular trafficking of Amblyomin-X.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. L. P. Morais
- Center of Excellence in New Target Discovery (CENTD), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil,Laboratory of Development and Innovation, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil,Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - L. Ciccone
- Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA SIMoS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France,Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - E. Stura
- Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA SIMoS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - M. P. Alvarez-Flores
- Center of Excellence in New Target Discovery (CENTD), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - G. Mourier
- Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA SIMoS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - M. Vanden Driessche
- Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA SIMoS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - J. M. Sciani
- Center of Excellence in New Target Discovery (CENTD), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - A. Iqbal
- Center of Excellence in New Target Discovery (CENTD), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil,Laboratory of Development and Innovation, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - S. P. Kalil
- Center of Excellence in New Target Discovery (CENTD), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - G. J. Pereira
- Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - R. Marques-Porto
- Laboratory of Development and Innovation, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - P. Cunegundes
- Center of Excellence in New Target Discovery (CENTD), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil,Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - L. Juliano
- Department of Biophysics, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - D. Servent
- Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA SIMoS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France,*Correspondence: D. Servent, ; A. M. Chudzinski-Tavassi,
| | - A. M. Chudzinski-Tavassi
- Center of Excellence in New Target Discovery (CENTD), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil,Laboratory of Development and Innovation, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil,*Correspondence: D. Servent, ; A. M. Chudzinski-Tavassi,
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Zhang Q, Liu N, Wang J, Liu Y, Wang K, Zhang J, Pan X. The Recent Advance of Cell-Penetrating and Tumor-Targeting Peptides as Drug Delivery Systems Based on Tumor Microenvironment. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:789-809. [PMID: 36598861 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Cancer has become the primary reason for industrial countries death. Although first-line treatments have achieved remarkable results in inhibiting tumors, they could have serious side effects because of insufficient selectivity. Therefore, specific localization of tumor cells is currently the main desire for cancer treatment. In recent years, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), as a kind of promising delivery vehicle, have attracted much attention because they mediate the high-efficiency import of large quantities of cargos in vivo and vitro. Unfortunately, the poor targeting of CPPs is still a barrier to their clinical application. In order to solve this problem, researchers use the various characteristics of tumor microenvironment and multiple receptors to improve the specificity toward tumors. This review focuses on the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment, and introduces the development of strategies and peptides based on these characteristics as drug delivery system in the tumor-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Nanxin Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Jin Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Yuying Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Kai Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Xiaoyan Pan
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
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Bottens RA, Yamada T. Cell-Penetrating Peptides (CPPs) as Therapeutic and Diagnostic Agents for Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14225546. [PMID: 36428639 PMCID: PMC9688740 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14225546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-Penetrating Peptides (CPPs) are short peptides consisting of <30 amino acids. Their ability to translocate through the cell membrane while carrying large cargo biomolecules has been the topic of pre-clinical and clinical trials. The ability to deliver cargo complexes through membranes yields potential for therapeutics and diagnostics for diseases such as cancer. Upon cellular entry, some CPPs have the ability to target specific organelles. CPP-based intracellular targeting strategies hold tremendous potential as they can improve efficacy and reduce toxicities and side effects. Further, recent clinical trials show a significant potential for future CPP-based cancer treatment. In this review, we summarize recent advances in CPPs based on systematic searches in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases until 30 September 2022. We highlight targeted delivery and explore the potential uses for CPPs as diagnostics, drug delivery, and intrinsic anti-cancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan A. Bottens
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Tohru Yamada
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Richard & Loan Hill Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and Engineering, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Correspondence:
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7
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Geng J, Xia X, Teng L, Wang L, Chen L, Guo X, Belingon B, Li J, Feng X, Li X, Shang W, Wan Y, Wang H. Emerging landscape of cell-penetrating peptide-mediated nucleic acid delivery and their utility in imaging, gene-editing, and RNA-sequencing. J Control Release 2022; 341:166-183. [PMID: 34822907 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The safety issues like immunogenicity and unacceptable cancer risk of viral vectors for DNA/mRNA vaccine delivery necessitate the development of non-viral vectors with no toxicity. Among the non-viral strategies, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have been a topic of interest recently because of their ability to cross plasma membranes and facilitate nucleic acids delivery both in vivo and in vitro. In addition to the application in the field of gene vaccine and gene therapy, CPPs based nucleic acids delivery have been proved by its potential application like gene editing, RNA-sequencing, and imaging. Here, we focus on summarizing the recent applications and progress of CPPs-mediated nucleic acids delivery and discuss the current problems and solutions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingping Geng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Xuan Xia
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical School, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Lin Teng
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The First Clinical Medical College of China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Lidan Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Linlin Chen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China; Affiliated Ren He Hospital of China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Xiangli Guo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Bonn Belingon
- Institute of Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21210, USA
| | - Jason Li
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21210, USA
| | - Xuemei Feng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Xianghui Li
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Wendou Shang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Yingying Wan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Hu Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China.
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Milani A, Baesi K, Agi E, Marouf G, Ahmadi M, Bolhassani A. HIV-1 Accessory Proteins: Which one is Potentially Effective in Diagnosis and Vaccine Development? Protein Pept Lett 2021; 28:687-698. [PMID: 33390106 DOI: 10.2174/0929866528999201231213610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) could increase the number of circulating naive CD4 T lymphocytes, but was not able to eradicate human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection. OBJECTIVE Thus, induction of strong immune responses is important for control of HIV-1 infection. Furthermore, a simple and perfect serological method is required to detect virus in untreated-, treated- and drug resistant- HIV-1 infected individuals. METHODS This study was conducted to assess and compare immunogenic properties of Nef, Vif, Vpr and Vpu accessory proteins as an antigen candidate in mice and their diagnostic importance in human as a biomarker. RESULTS Our data showed that in mice, all heterologous prime/ boost regimens were more potent than homologous prime/ boost regimens in eliciting Th1 response and Granzyme B secretion as CTL activity. Moreover, the Nef, Vpu and Vif proteins could significantly increase Th1 immune response. In contrast, the Vpr protein could considerably induce Th2 immune response. On the other hand, among four accessory proteins, HIV-1 Vpu could significantly detect treated group from untreated group as a possible biomarker in human. CONCLUSION Generally, among accessory proteins, Nef, Vpu and Vif antigens were potentially more suitable vaccine antigen candidates than Vpr antigen. Human antibodies against all these proteins were higher in HIV-1 different groups than healthy group. Among them, Vpu was known as a potent antigen in diagnosis of treated from untreated individuals. The potency of accessory proteins as an antigen candidate in an animal model and a human cohort study are underway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Milani
- Department of Hepatitis, AIDS and Blood Borne Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kazem Baesi
- Department of Hepatitis, AIDS and Blood Borne Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elnaz Agi
- Iranian Comprehensive Hemophilia Care Center, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ghazal Marouf
- Department of Hepatitis, AIDS and Blood Borne Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Ahmadi
- Department of Hepatitis, AIDS and Blood Borne Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Bolhassani
- Department of Hepatitis, AIDS and Blood Borne Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Khojasteh NF, Fekri M, Shabani SH, Milani A, Baesi K, Bolhassani A. Evaluation of HIV-1 Regulatory and Structural Proteins as Antigen Candidate in Mice and Humans. Curr HIV Res 2021; 19:225-237. [PMID: 33243125 DOI: 10.2174/1570162x18999201125212131] [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: 06/28/2020] [Revised: 10/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The diagnosis of HIV infection is important among different groups. Moreover, combination antiretroviral therapy is used to treat HIV-1, but it cannot eradicate the infection. Thus, the development of therapeutic vaccines, along with antiretroviral therapy, is recommended. This study evaluates the values of four HIV proteins as antigen candidates in therapeutic vaccine design as well as a possible diagnostic marker for HIV infection in humans. METHODS In this study, the HIV-1 Tat and Rev regulatory proteins and structural Gp120 and p24 proteins were generated in E. coli expression system. Their immunogenicity was evaluated in BALB/ c mice using homologous and heterologous prime/boost strategies. Moreover, the detection of anti- HIV IgG antibodies against these recombinant proteins was assessed in untreated (Naïve/ HIV-infected), treated, and drug-resistant patients compared to the healthy (control) group as a possible diagnostic marker for HIV infection. RESULTS In humans, our results showed that among HIV-1 proteins, anti-Gp120 antibody was not detected in treated individuals compared to the healthy (control) group. The levels of anti-Gp120 antibody were significantly different between the treated group and Naïve as well as drug-resistant subjects. Moreover, the level of anti-p24 antibody was significantly lower in the treated group than the Naive group. In mice, the results of immunization indicated that the Rev antigen could significantly induce IgG2a, IgG2b, and IFN-γ secretion aimed at Th1 response as well as Granzyme B generation as CTL activity in comparison with other antigens. Furthermore, the heterologous DNA prime/ protein boost regimen was more potent than the homologous regimen for stimulation of cellular immunity. CONCLUSION Briefly, the levels of both anti-Gp120 and anti-p24 antibodies can be considered for the diagnosis of the HIV-infected individuals in different groups compared to the healthy group. Moreover, among four recombinant proteins, Rev elicited Th1 cellular immunity and CTL activity in mice as an antigen candidate in therapeutic vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mehrshad Fekri
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Alireza Milani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kazem Baesi
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Bolhassani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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10
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Predicting cell-penetrating peptides using machine learning algorithms and navigating in their chemical space. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7628. [PMID: 33828175 PMCID: PMC8027643 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87134-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are naturally able to cross the lipid bilayer membrane that protects cells. These peptides share common structural and physicochemical properties and show different pharmaceutical applications, among which drug delivery is the most important. Due to their ability to cross the membranes by pulling high-molecular-weight polar molecules, they are termed Trojan horses. In this study, we proposed a machine learning (ML)-based framework named BChemRF-CPPred (beyond chemical rules-based framework for CPP prediction) that uses an artificial neural network, a support vector machine, and a Gaussian process classifier to differentiate CPPs from non-CPPs, using structure- and sequence-based descriptors extracted from PDB and FASTA formats. The performance of our algorithm was evaluated by tenfold cross-validation and compared with those of previously reported prediction tools using an independent dataset. The BChemRF-CPPred satisfactorily identified CPP-like structures using natural and synthetic modified peptide libraries and also obtained better performance than those of previously reported ML-based algorithms, reaching the independent test accuracy of 90.66% (AUC = 0.9365) for PDB, and an accuracy of 86.5% (AUC = 0.9216) for FASTA input. Moreover, our analyses of the CPP chemical space demonstrated that these peptides break some molecular rules related to the prediction of permeability of therapeutic molecules in cell membranes. This is the first comprehensive analysis to predict synthetic and natural CPP structures and to evaluate their chemical space using an ML-based framework. Our algorithm is freely available for academic use at http://comptools.linc.ufpa.br/BChemRF-CPPred .
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11
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Namazi F, Davoodi S, Bolhassani A. Comparison of the efficacy of HIV-1 Nef-Tat-Gp160-p24 polyepitope vaccine candidate with Nef protein in different immunization strategies. Curr Drug Deliv 2021; 19:142-156. [PMID: 33655833 DOI: 10.2174/1567201818666210224101144] [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: 10/04/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES One of the promising strategies for effective HIV-1 vaccine design involves finding the polyepitope immunogens using T cell epitopes. METHODS Herein, an HIV-1 polyepitope construct (i.e., Nef-Tat-Gp160-P24) comprising of several epitopes from Nef, Tat, Gp160, and P24 proteins was designed. To improve its immunogenicity in BALB/c mice, cell-penetrating peptides (HR9 & MPG for DNA delivery, and LDP-NLS & CyLoP-1 for protein transfer), Montanide adjuvant, and heterologous DNA prime/polypeptide boost strategy were used. To compare the immunogenicity, Nef was utilized as a vaccine candidate. The levels of total IgG and its subclasses, cytokines, and Granzyme B were assessed using ELISA. RESULTS Immunological studies showed that heterologous prime-boost regimens for both antigens could considerably augment the levels of IgG2a, IgG2b, IFN-γ, and Granzyme B directed toward Th1 and CTL immune responses in comparison with homologous prime-boost strategies. The levels of IFN-γ, IL-10, total IgG, IgG1, and IgG2b were drastically higher in groups immunized with Nef-Tat-Gp160-P24 in heterologous prime-boost regimens than those in groups immunized with Nef. CONCLUSIONS The use of the Nef-Tat-Gp160-P24 polyepitope immunogen in heterologous prime-boost strategy could generate the mixture of Th1 and Th2 responses directed further toward Th1 response as a hopeful method for improvement of HIV-1 vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Namazi
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran. Iran
| | - Saba Davoodi
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran. Iran
| | - Azam Bolhassani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran. Iran
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12
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Kuhn-Nentwig L. Complex precursor structures of cytolytic cupiennins identified in spider venom gland transcriptomes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4009. [PMID: 33597701 PMCID: PMC7889660 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83624-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of spider venom gland transcriptomes focuses on the identification of possible neurotoxins, proteins and enzymes. Here, the first comprehensive transcriptome analysis of cupiennins, small linear cationic peptides, also known as cytolytic or antimicrobial peptides, is reported from the venom gland transcriptome of Cupiennius salei by 454- and Illumina 3000 sequencing. Four transcript families with complex precursor structures are responsible for the expression of 179 linear peptides. Within the transcript families, after an anionic propeptide, cationic linear peptides are separated by anionic linkers, which are transcript family specific. The C-terminus of the transcript families is characterized by a linear peptide or truncated linkers with unknown function. A new identified posttranslational processing mechanism explains the presence of the two-chain CsTx-16 family in the venom. The high diversity of linear peptides in the venom of a spider and this unique synthesis process is at least genus specific as verified with Cupiennius getazi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Kuhn-Nentwig
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
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13
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Rádis-Baptista G. Cell-Penetrating Peptides Derived from Animal Venoms and Toxins. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:147. [PMID: 33671927 PMCID: PMC7919042 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13020147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) comprise a class of short polypeptides that possess the ability to selectively interact with the cytoplasmic membrane of certain cell types, translocate across plasma membranes and accumulate in the cell cytoplasm, organelles (e.g., the nucleus and mitochondria) and other subcellular compartments. CPPs are either of natural origin or de novo designed and synthesized from segments and patches of larger proteins or designed by algorithms. With such intrinsic properties, along with membrane permeation, translocation and cellular uptake properties, CPPs can intracellularly convey diverse substances and nanomaterials, such as hydrophilic organic compounds and drugs, macromolecules (nucleic acids and proteins), nanoparticles (nanocrystals and polyplexes), metals and radionuclides, which can be covalently attached via CPP N- and C-terminals or through preparation of CPP complexes. A cumulative number of studies on animal toxins, primarily isolated from the venom of arthropods and snakes, have revealed the cell-penetrating activities of venom peptides and toxins, which can be harnessed for application in biomedicine and pharmaceutical biotechnology. In this review, I aimed to collate examples of peptides from animal venoms and toxic secretions that possess the ability to penetrate diverse types of cells. These venom CPPs have been chemically or structurally modified to enhance cell selectivity, bioavailability and a range of target applications. Herein, examples are listed and discussed, including cysteine-stabilized and linear, α-helical peptides, with cationic and amphipathic character, from the venom of insects (e.g., melittin, anoplin, mastoparans), arachnids (latarcin, lycosin, chlorotoxin, maurocalcine/imperatoxin homologs and wasabi receptor toxin), fish (pardaxins), amphibian (bombesin) and snakes (crotamine and cathelicidins).
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Affiliation(s)
- Gandhi Rádis-Baptista
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Institute for Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza 60165-081, Brazil
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14
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Shabani SH, Kardani K, Milani A, Bolhassani A. In Silico and in Vivo Analysis of HIV-1 Rev Regulatory Protein for Evaluation of a Multiepitope-based Vaccine Candidate. Immunol Invest 2021; 51:1-28. [PMID: 33416004 DOI: 10.1080/08820139.2020.1867163] [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] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In silico-designed multiepitope conserved regions of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) proteins would be a beneficial strategy for antigen design which induces effective anti-HIV-1 T-cell responses. The conserved multiple HLA-DR-binding epitopes of Rev protein were identified using IEDB MHC-I prediction tools and SYFPEITHI webserver to screen potential T-cell epitopes. We analyzed toxicity, allergenicity, immunogenicity, hemolytic activity, cross-reactivity, cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) potency, and molecular docking of the candidate epitopes using several immune-informatics tools. Afterward, we designed a novel multiepitope construct based on non-toxic and non-allergenic Rev, Nef, Gp160 and P24-derived cytotoxic T cell (CTL) and T-helper cell (HTL) epitopes. Next, the designed construct (Nef-Rev-Gp160-P24) was subjected to three B-cell epitope prediction webservers, ProtParam and Protein-Sol to obtain the physicochemical features. Then, the recombinant multiepitope DNA and polypeptide constructs were complexed with different CPPs for nanoparticle formation and pass them via the cell membranes. Finally, the immunogenicity of multiepitope constructs in a variety of modalities was evaluated in mice. The results demonstrated that groups immunized with heterologous DNA+ MPG or HR9 CPP prime/rNef-Rev-Gp160-P24 polypeptide + LDP-NLS CPP boost regimens could significantly produce higher levels of IFN-γ and Granzyme B, and lower amounts of IL-10 than other groups. Moreover, higher levels of IgG2a and IgG2b were observed in all heterologous prime-boost regimens than homologous DNA or polypeptide regimens. Altogether, the present findings indicated that the Nef-Rev-Gp160-P24 polypeptide meets the criteria to be potentially useful as a multiepitope-based vaccine candidate against HIV-1 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samaneh H Shabani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kimia Kardani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Milani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Bolhassani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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15
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Li XY, Shi LX, Yao XM, Jing M, Li QQ, Wang YL, Li QS. Functional vinorelbine plus schisandrin B liposomes destroying tumor metastasis in treatment of gastric cancer. Drug Dev Ind Pharm 2021; 47:100-112. [PMID: 33295825 DOI: 10.1080/03639045.2020.1862169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide with a poor prognosis. Gastric cancer is usually treated with surgery and chemotherapy, accompanied by a high rate of metastasis and recurrence. In this paper, R8 (RRRRRRRR) modified vinorelbine plus schisandrin B liposomes had been successfully constructed for treating gastric cancer. In the liposomes, R8 was used to enhance the intracellular uptake, schisandrin B was incorporated into liposomes for inhibiting tumor cells metastasis, and vinorelbine was encapsulated into liposomes as antitumor drugs. Studies were performed on BGC-823 cells in vitro and were verified in the BGC-823 cell xenografts nude mice in vivo. Results in vitro demonstrated that the targeting liposomes could induce BGC-823 cells apoptosis, inhibit the metastasis of tumor cells, and increase targeting effects to tumor cells. Meanwhile, action mechanism studies showed that the targeting liposomes could down-regulate VEGF, VE-Cad, HIF-1a, PI3K, MMP-2, and FAK to inhibit tumor metastasis. In vivo results exhibited that the targeting liposomes displayed an obvious antitumor efficacy by accumulating selectively in tumor site and induce tumor cell apoptosis. Hence, R8 modified vinorelbine plus schisandrin B liposomes might provide a safe and efficient therapy strategy for gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu-Ying Li
- School of Pharmacy, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, China
| | - Luan-Xia Shi
- School of Pharmacy, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, China
| | - Xue-Min Yao
- School of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian, China
| | - Ming Jing
- School of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian, China
| | - Qin-Qing Li
- School of Pharmacy, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, China
| | - Ying-Li Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, China
| | - Qing-Shan Li
- School of Pharmacy, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, China
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16
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Davoodi S, Bolhassani A, Namazi F. In vivo delivery of a multiepitope peptide and Nef protein using novel cell-penetrating peptides for development of HIV-1 vaccine candidate. Biotechnol Lett 2021; 43:547-559. [PMID: 33386500 PMCID: PMC7775797 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-020-03060-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A potent HIV vaccine should overcome some limitations such as polymorphism of human HLA, the diversity of HIV-1 virus, and the lack of an effective delivery system. In this study, a DNA construct encoding Nef60-84, Nef126-144, Vpr34-47, Vpr60-75, Gp16030-53, Gp160308-323, and P248-151 epitopes was designed using bioinformatics tools. The pcDNA3.1-nef-vpr-gp160-p24 and pcDNA3.1-nef constructs were prepared in large scale as endotoxin-free form. Moreover, the recombinant Nef-Vpr-Gp160-p24 polypeptide and Nef protein were generated inE. coli. These constructs were delivered using cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) in vivo, and immune responses were assessed for different modalities in BALB/c mice. RESULTS The recombinant DNA constructs were confirmed as the ~ 867 bp and ~ 648 bp bands related tonef-vpr-gp160-p24 andnef genes on agarose gel. Moreover, the purified Nef-Vpr-Gp160-p24 polypeptide and Nef protein showed the ~ 32 kDa and ~ 30 kDa bands on SDS-PAGE, respectively. The results of immune responses indicated that the heterologous prime/boost regimens using both Nef-Vpr-Gp160-P24 and Nef antigens induced significantly the secretion of IgG2a, IgG2b, IFN-γ and Granzyme B compared to other groups. The levels of Granzyme B in mice immunized with Nef antigen were higher than those immunized with Nef-Vpr-Gp160-P24 antigen. The CPPs showed the same potency with Montanide adjuvant for eliciting immune responses. CONCLUSIONS The heterologous prime/boost regimens for both antigens could significantly direct immune responses toward Th1 and CTL activity compared to other regimens. Comparing the efficiency of Nef-Vpr-Gp160-P24 and Nef constructs, the Nef-Vpr-Gp160-P24 constructs delivered by CPPs showed promising results as an HIV vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba Davoodi
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Bolhassani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Fatemeh Namazi
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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17
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Affiliation(s)
- John Howl
- Research Institute in Healthcare Science, University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton UK
| | - Sarah Jones
- Research Institute in Healthcare Science, University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton UK
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18
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Kardani K, Hashemi A, Bolhassani A. Comparative analysis of two HIV-1 multiepitope polypeptides for stimulation of immune responses in BALB/c mice. Mol Immunol 2020; 119:106-122. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2020.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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19
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Namazi F, Bolhassani A, Sadat SM, Irani S. Delivery of HIV-1 Polyepitope Constructs Using Cationic and Amphipathic Cell Penetrating Peptides into Mammalian Cells. Curr HIV Res 2020; 17:408-428. [DOI: 10.2174/1570162x17666191121114522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background:
An effective vaccine against human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) is
an important global health priority. Despite many efforts in the development of the HIV-1 vaccine,
no effective vaccine has been approved yet. Recently, polyepitope vaccines including several immunogenic
and conserved epitopes of HIV-1 proteins have received special attention.
Methods:
In this study, HIV-1 Nef, Tat, Gp160 and P24 proteins were considered for selection of
immunodominant and conserved epitopes due to their critical roles in the viral life cycle and pathogenesis.
At first, the Nef60-84-Nef126-144-Tat29-49-Gp16030-53-Gp160308-323-P248-151 DNA construct was
designed using in silico studies. Then, the DNA construct was subcloned in pEGFP-N1 and pET-
24a (+) expression vectors and the rNef-Tat-Gp160-P24 polyepitope peptide was generated in E.coli
expression system for in vitro delivery using novel cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), LDP-NLS and
CyLoP-1, in a non-covalent manner. Also, the HR9 and MPG CPPs were used to transfer the DNA
construct.
Results:
Our results showed that the recombinant polyepitope peptide generated in Rosetta strain
migrated as a clear band of ~31 kDa in SDS-PAGE. The SEM data confirmed the formation of stable
nanoparticles with a size below 250 nm. MTT assay revealed that the complexes did not represent
any considerable cytotoxic effect compared to untreated cells. The results of fluorescence microscopy,
flow cytometry and western blotting indicated that these CPPs successfully delivered polyepitope
constructs into HEK-293T cell line.
Conclusion:
These data suggested that these CPPs can be used as a promising approach for the development
of the HIV-1 vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Namazi
- Department of Biology, School of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Bolhassani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Mehdi Sadat
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shiva Irani
- Department of Biology, School of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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20
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Zhang W, Taheri-Ledari R, Hajizadeh Z, Zolfaghari E, Ahghari MR, Maleki A, Hamblin MR, Tian Y. Enhanced activity of vancomycin by encapsulation in hybrid magnetic nanoparticles conjugated to a cell-penetrating peptide. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:3855-3870. [PMID: 31996884 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr09687f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
We describe a novel antibiotic delivery system based on magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) conjugated to a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine
- West China Hospital
- Sichuan University
- Chengdu 610041
- P.R. China
| | - Reza Taheri-Ledari
- Catalysts and Organic Synthesis Research Laboratory
- Department of Chemistry
- Iran University of Science and Technology
- Tehran 16846-13114
- Iran
| | - Zoleikha Hajizadeh
- Catalysts and Organic Synthesis Research Laboratory
- Department of Chemistry
- Iran University of Science and Technology
- Tehran 16846-13114
- Iran
| | - Ehsan Zolfaghari
- Catalysts and Organic Synthesis Research Laboratory
- Department of Chemistry
- Iran University of Science and Technology
- Tehran 16846-13114
- Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Ahghari
- Catalysts and Organic Synthesis Research Laboratory
- Department of Chemistry
- Iran University of Science and Technology
- Tehran 16846-13114
- Iran
| | - Ali Maleki
- Catalysts and Organic Synthesis Research Laboratory
- Department of Chemistry
- Iran University of Science and Technology
- Tehran 16846-13114
- Iran
| | - Michael R. Hamblin
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Boston
- USA
- Department of Dermatology
| | - Ye Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases
- Department of Orthodontics
- West China Hospital of Stomatology
- Sichuan University
- Chengdu 610041
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21
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Jana A, Narula P, Chugh A, Kulshreshtha R. Efficient delivery of anti-miR-210 using Tachyplesin, a cell penetrating peptide, for glioblastoma treatment. Int J Pharm 2019; 572:118789. [PMID: 31726199 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.118789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The levels of microRNAs (miRNAs) are altered in various diseases including glioblastoma (GBM) and this alteration may have widespread effects on various hallmarks of cancer cells. MiR210 is overexpressed in GBM and functions as an oncogenic miRNA. Anti-miR210 therapy holds great promise but its efficient delivery remains a major challenge. Our work here explores a novel role of Tachyplesin (Tpl), a cell-penetrating antimicrobial peptide, as a nanocarrier for anti-miR210. Tpl electrostatically interacts with anti-miR210 at 1:25 and 1:50 (anti-miR:Tpl) weight ratios to form a complex and efficiently delivers anti-miR210 inside GBM cells cultured as 2D and 3D spheroid model. Treatment of GBM cells with the complex significantly inhibited miR210 levels (~90%), proliferation, migration and spheroid formation ability and induced apoptosis as evident by increased levels of caspase 3/7 and ROS. GBM cells pre-treated with anti-miR210:Tpl complex were also found to be sensitive to TMZ mediated action. Uptake of the complex in GBM cells induced the levels of miR210 targeted tumor suppressor genes, NeuroD2 and HIF3A. Overall, our work reveals a novel and efficient miRNA delivery ability of Tpl in glioma cells, holding a great promise for treatment of GBM and potentially for other cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirban Jana
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Pankhuri Narula
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Archana Chugh
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India.
| | - Ritu Kulshreshtha
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India.
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Kardani K, Hashemi A, Bolhassani A. Comparison of HIV-1 Vif and Vpu accessory proteins for delivery of polyepitope constructs harboring Nef, Gp160 and P24 using various cell penetrating peptides. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223844. [PMID: 31671105 PMCID: PMC6822742 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
To develop an effective therapeutic vaccine against HIV-1, prediction of the most conserved epitopes derived from major proteins using bioinformatics tools is an alternative achievement. The epitope-driven vaccines against variable pathogens represented successful results. Hence, to overcome this hyper-variable virus, we designed the highly conserved and immunodominant peptide epitopes. Two servers were used to predict peptide-MHC-I binding affinity including NetMHCpan4.0 and Syfpeithi servers. The NetMHCIIpan3.2 server was utilized for MHC-II binding affinity. Then, we determined immunogenicity scores and allergenicity by the IEDB immunogenicity predictor and Algpred, respectively. Next, for estimation of toxicity and population coverage, ToxinPred server and IEDB population coverage tool were applied. After that, the MHC-peptide binding was investigated by GalexyPepDock peptide-protein flexible docking server. Finally, two different DNA and peptide constructs containing Nef-Vif-Gp160-P24 and Nef-Vpu-Gp160-P24 were prepared and complexed with four various cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) for delivery into mammalian cells (MPG and HR9 CPPs for DNA delivery, and CyLoP-1 and LDP-NLS CPPs for protein delivery). Our results indicated that the designed DNA and peptide constructs could form non-covalent stable nanoparticles at certain ratios as observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Zetasizer. The flow cytometry results obtained from in vitro transfection of the nanoparticles into HEK-293T cell lines showed that the percentage of GFP expressing cells was about 38.38 ± 1.34%, 25.36% ± 0.30, 54.95% ± 0.84, and 25.11% ± 0.36 for MPG/pEGFP-nef-vif-gp160-p24, MPG/pEGFP-nef-vpu-gp160-p24, HR9/pEGFP-nef-vif-gp160-p24 and HR9/pEGFP-nef-vpu-gp160-p24, respectively. Thus, these data showed that the DNA construct harboring nef-vif-gp160-p24 multi-epitope gene had higher efficiency than the DNA construct harboring nef-vpu-gp160-p24 multi-epitope gene to penetrate into the cells. Moreover, delivery of the recombinant Nef-Vif-Gp160-P24 and Nef-Vpu-Gp160-P24 polyepitope peptides in HEK-293T cells was confirmed as a single band about 32 kDa using western blot analysis. Although, both DNA and peptide constructs could be successfully transported by a variety of CPPs into the cells, but the difference between them in transfection rate will influence the levels of immune responses for development of therapeutic vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimia Kardani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atieh Hashemi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Bolhassani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Kardani K, Milani A, H Shabani S, Bolhassani A. Cell penetrating peptides: the potent multi-cargo intracellular carriers. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2019; 16:1227-1258. [PMID: 31583914 DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2019.1676720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) known as protein translocation domains (PTD), membrane translocating sequences (MTS), or Trojan peptides (TP) are able to cross biological membranes without clear toxicity using different mechanisms, and facilitate the intracellular delivery of a variety of bioactive cargos. CPPs could overcome some limitations of drug delivery and combat resistant strains against a broad range of diseases. Despite delivery of different therapeutic molecules by CPPs, they lack cell specificity and have a short duration of action. These limitations led to design of combined cargo delivery systems and subsequently improvement of their clinical applications. Areas covered: This review covers all our studies and other researchers in different aspects of CPPs such as classification, uptake mechanisms, and biomedical applications. Expert opinion: Due to low cytotoxicity of CPPs as compared to other carriers and final degradation to amino acids, they are suitable for preclinical and clinical studies. Generally, the efficiency of CPPs was suitable to penetrate the cell membrane and deliver different cargos to specific intracellular sites. However, no CPP-based therapeutic approach has approved by FDA, yet; because there are some disadvantages for CPPs including short half-life in blood, and nonspecific CPP-mediated delivery to normal tissue. Thus, some methods were used to develop the functions of CPPs in vitro and in vivo including the augmentation of cell specificity by activatable CPPs, specific transport into cell organelles by insertion of corresponding localization sequences, incorporation of CPPs into multifunctional dendrimeric or liposomal nanocarriers to improve selectivity and efficiency especially in tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimia Kardani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Alireza Milani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Samaneh H Shabani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Azam Bolhassani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
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Abstract
Delivery of the drug to a desired point of body and controlled release of the therapeutic agent are important features, provided by drug delivery systems (DDSs), for development of today's effective medicines. A variety of nanomaterials or nanomolecules such as lipids/liposomes, nucleic acids, peptides/proteins, composites, polymers, or carbon nanotubes can be used as DDSs. Single-molecule characterization of these small materials in terms of their size, shape, surface, encapsulation efficiency, as well as interaction with the drug-receiving cell has importance for their efficiency. The loading, distribution, or leakage of the drug as well as its interaction with DDS should also be characterized. Although diverse techniques are present for characterization of specific DDS material, methods such as electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy are widely used. In this review, the current methodologies utilized for the single-molecule characterization of mostly preferred DDS materials were presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sezer Okay
- Department of Vaccine Technology, Vaccine Institute, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Çankırı Karatekin University, Çankırı, Turkey
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25
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Namazi F, Bolhassani A, Sadat SM, Irani S. In vitro Delivery of HIV-1 Nef Antigen by Histidine-rich nona-arginine and Latarcin 1 peptide. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2019. [DOI: 10.29252/jommid.7.4.107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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Design and in vitro delivery of HIV-1 multi-epitope DNA and peptide constructs using novel cell-penetrating peptides. Biotechnol Lett 2019; 41:1283-1298. [PMID: 31531750 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-019-02734-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Developing an effective HIV vaccine that stimulates the humoral and cellular immune responses is still challenging because of the diversity of HIV-1 virus, polymorphism of human HLA and lack of a suitable delivery system. RESULTS Using bioinformatics tools, we designed a DNA construct encoding multiple epitopes. These epitopes were highly conserved within prevalent HIV-1 subtypes and interacted with prevalent class I and II HLAs in Iran and the world. The designed DNA construct included Nef60-84, Nef126-144, Vpr34-47, Vpr60-75, Gp16030-53, Gp160308-323 and P248-151 epitopes (i.e., nef-vpr-gp160-p24 DNA) which was cloned into pET-24a(+) and pEGFP-N1 vectors. The recombinant polyepitope peptide (rNef-Vpr-Gp160-P24; ~ 32 kDa) was successfully generated in E. coli expression system. The pEGFP-nef-vpr-gp160-p24 and rNef-Vpr-Gp160-P24 polyepitope peptide were delivered into HEK-293 T cells using cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). The MPG and HR9 CPPs, as well as the novel LDP-NLS and CyLoP-1 CPPs, were utilized for DNA and peptide delivery into the cells, respectively. SEM results confirmed the formation of stable MPG/pEGFP-N1-nef-vpr-gp160-p24, HR9/pEGFP-N1-nef-vpr-gp160-p24, LDP-NLS/rNef-Vpr-Gp160-P24 and CyLoP-1/rNef-Vpr-Gp160-P24 nanoparticles with a diameter of < 200 nm through non-covalent bonds. MTT assay results indicated that these nanoparticles did not have any major toxicity in vitro. Fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and western blot data demonstrated that these CPPs could significantly deliver the DNA and peptide constructs into HEK-293 T cells. CONCLUSION The use of these CPPs can be considered as an approach in HIV vaccine development for in vitro and in vivo delivery of DNA and peptide constructs into mammalian cells.
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Yang Y, Chen L. Downregulation of lncRNA UCA1 facilitates apoptosis and reduces proliferation in multiple myeloma via regulation of the miR-1271-5p/HGF axis. J Chin Med Assoc 2019; 82:699-709. [PMID: 31356563 DOI: 10.1097/jcma.0000000000000145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are considered to be a novel prognostic and therapeutic target in many cancers. This study identified dysregulation of lncRNA urothelial carcinoma associated 1 (UCA1) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) mRNA via the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, which was traced to the mutual target miRNA, miR-1271-5p, and their effects were explored in multiple myeloma (MM). METHODS RNA expression profiles of MM were downloaded from the GEO database and analyzed using R packages. The expression of RNAs in MM tissue samples and cells was evaluated through quantificational real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A luciferase reporter assay was utilized to confirm the binding relationships between UCA1/HGF and miR-1271-5p. To assess cell proliferation and apoptosis, CCK-8 assays and flow cytometry were conducted. Additionally, tumor progression was demonstrated in vivo. RESULTS LncRNA UCA1 and HGF expression was higher in the cells and samples of patients with MM than in normal plasma cells. miR-1271-5p was confirmed to be the target of lncRNA UCA1 and HGF and to be negatively correlated with them. Moreover, downregulation of lncRNA UCA1 and HGF inhibited cell proliferation and facilitated cell apoptosis in RPMI 8226 cells (human MM cell line). However, miR-1271-5p overexpression affected the proliferation decrease and apoptosis increase. Moreover, in vivo experiments indicated that down or upregulation of lncRNA UCA1 repressed or enhanced the tumor growth of MM, respectively, in xenograft models. CONCLUSION LncRNA UCA1 promoted proliferation and inhibited apoptosis by regulating miR-1271-5p and HGF in the human MM cell line RPMI 8226. Our investigations might contribute to a better understanding of the lncRNA UCA1/miR-1271-5p/HGF axis as a potential therapeutic strategy in MM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Hematology, ChongQing Three Gorges Centre Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Grafskaia EN, Nadezhdin KD, Talyzina IA, Polina NF, Podgorny OV, Pavlova ER, Bashkirov PV, Kharlampieva DD, Bobrovsky PA, Latsis IA, Manuvera VA, Babenko VV, Trukhan VM, Arseniev AS, Klinov DV, Lazarev VN. Medicinal leech antimicrobial peptides lacking toxicity represent a promising alternative strategy to combat antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 180:143-153. [PMID: 31302447 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.06.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The rise of antibiotic resistance has necessitated the development of alternative strategies for the treatment of infectious diseases. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), components of the innate immune response in various organisms, are promising next-generation drugs against bacterial infections. The ability of the medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis to store blood for months with little change has attracted interest regarding the identification of novel AMPs in this organism. In this study, we employed computational algorithms to the medicinal leech genome assembly to identify amino acid sequences encoding potential AMPs. Then, we synthesized twelve candidate AMPs identified by the algorithms, determined their secondary structures, measured minimal inhibitory concentrations against three bacterial species (Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Chlamydia thrachomatis), and assayed cytotoxic and haemolytic activities. Eight of twelve candidate AMPs possessed antimicrobial activity, and only two of them, 3967 (FRIMRILRVLKL) and 536-1 (RWRLVCFLCRRKKV), exhibited inhibition of growth of all tested bacterial species at a minimal inhibitory concentration of 10 μmol. Thus, we evidence the utility of the developed computational algorithms for the identification of AMPs with low toxicity and haemolytic activity in the medicinal leech genome assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- E N Grafskaia
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia.
| | - K D Nadezhdin
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia; M.M. Shemyakin and Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - I A Talyzina
- M.M. Shemyakin and Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia; Federal State Budget Educational Institution of Higher Education, M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State University (Lomonosov MSU), Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - N F Polina
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - O V Podgorny
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia; Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - E R Pavlova
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia
| | - P V Bashkirov
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - D D Kharlampieva
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - P A Bobrovsky
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - I A Latsis
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - V A Manuvera
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia
| | - V V Babenko
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - V M Trukhan
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, 119146, Russia
| | - A S Arseniev
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia; M.M. Shemyakin and Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - D V Klinov
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - V N Lazarev
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia
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Lange MJ, Lyddon TD, Johnson MC. Diphtheria Toxin A-Resistant Cell Lines Enable Robust Production and Evaluation of DTA-Encoding Lentiviruses. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8985. [PMID: 31222087 PMCID: PMC6586843 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45481-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Suicide genes have been widely investigated for their utility as therapeutic agents and as tools for in vitro negative selection strategies. Several methods for delivery of suicide genes have been explored. Two important considerations for delivery are the quantity of delivered cargo and the ability to target the cargo to specific cells. Delivery using a lentiviral vector is particularly attractive due to the ability to encode the gene within the viral genome, as well as the ability to limit off-target effects by using cell type-specific glycoproteins. Here, we present the design and validation of a diphtheria toxin A (DTA)-encoding lentiviral vector expressing DTA under the control of a constituitive promoter to allow for expression of DTA in a variety of cell types, with specificity provided via selection of glycoproteins for pseudotyping of the lentiviral particles. DTA exerts its toxic activity through inhibition of eukaryotic translation elongation factor 2 (eEF2) via adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylation of a modified histidine residue, diphthamide, at His715, which blocks protein translation and leads to cell death. Thus, we also detail development of DTA-resistant cell lines, engineered through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of the diphthamide 1 (DPH1) gene, which enable both robust virus production by transfection and evaluation of DTA-expressing virus infectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret J Lange
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA. .,Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA. .,Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States.
| | - Terri D Lyddon
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Marc C Johnson
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA. .,Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA. .,Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States.
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Mousavi M, Johari B, Zargan J, Haji Noor Mohammadi A, Goudarzi HR, Dezianian S, Keshavarz Alikhani H. Investigating Antibacterial Effects of Latrodectus Dahli Crude Venom on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. MEDICAL LABORATORY JOURNAL 2019. [DOI: 10.29252/mlj.13.3.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
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Saez NJ, Herzig V. Versatile spider venom peptides and their medical and agricultural applications. Toxicon 2018; 158:109-126. [PMID: 30543821 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.11.298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Spiders have been evolving complex and diverse repertoires of peptides in their venoms with vast pharmacological activities for more than 300 million years. Spiders use their venoms for prey capture and defense, hence they contain peptides that target both prey (mainly arthropods) and predators (other arthropods or vertebrates). This includes peptides that potently and selectively modulate a range of targets such as ion channels, receptors and signaling pathways involved in physiological processes. The contribution of these targets in particular disease pathophysiologies makes spider venoms a valuable source of peptides with potential therapeutic use. In addition, peptides with insecticidal activities, used for prey capture, can be exploited for the development of novel bioinsecticides for agricultural use. Although we have already reviewed potential applications of spider venom peptides as therapeutics (in 2010) and as bioinsecticides (in 2012), a considerable number of research articles on both topics have been published since, warranting an updated review. Here we explore the most recent research on the use of spider venom peptides for both medical and agricultural applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie J Saez
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Volker Herzig
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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Dubovskii PV, Efremov RG. The role of hydrophobic /hydrophilic balance in the activity of structurally flexible vs. rigid cytolytic polypeptides and analogs developed on their basis. Expert Rev Proteomics 2018; 15:873-886. [PMID: 30328726 DOI: 10.1080/14789450.2018.1537786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Being important representatives of various proteomes, membrane-active cationic peptides (CPs) are attractive objects as lead compounds in the design of new antibacterial, anticancer, antifungal, and antiviral molecules. Numerous CPs are found in insect and snake venoms, where many of them reveal cytolytic properties. Due to advances in omics technologies, the number of such peptides is growing dramatically. Areas covered: To understand structure-function relationships for CPs in a living cell, detailed analysis of their hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties is indispensable. We consider two structural classes of membrane-active CPs: latarcins (Ltc) from spider and cardiotoxins (CTXs) from snake venoms. While the former are void off disulfide bonds and conformationally flexible, the latter are structurally rigid and cross-linked with disulfide bonds. In order to elucidate structure-activity relationships behind their antibacterial, anticancer, and hemolytic effects, the properties of these polypeptides are considered on a side-by-side basis. Expert commentary: An ever-increasing number of venom-derived membrane-active polypeptides require new methods for identification of their functional propensities and sequence-based design of novel pharmacological substances. We address these issues considering a number of the designed peptides, based either on Ltc or CTX sequences. Experimental and computer modeling techniques required for these purposes are delineated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter V Dubovskii
- a Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry , Russian Academy of Sciences , Moscow , Russia
| | - Roman G Efremov
- a Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry , Russian Academy of Sciences , Moscow , Russia.,b Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology , Dolgoprudnyi , Russian Federation.,c National Research University Higher School of Economics , Moscow , Russia
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Mambelli-Lisboa NC, Sciani JM, Brandão Prieto da Silva AR, Kerkis I. Co-Localization of Crotamine with Internal Membranes and Accentuated Accumulation in Tumor Cells. Molecules 2018; 23:E968. [PMID: 29693555 PMCID: PMC6017820 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23040968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Crotamine is a highly cationic; cysteine rich, cross-linked, low molecular mass cell penetrating peptide (CPP) from the venom of the South American rattlesnake. Potential application of crotamine in biomedicine may require its large-scale purification. To overcome difficulties related with the purification of natural crotamine (nCrot) we aimed in the present study to synthesize and characterize a crotamine analog (sCrot) as well investigate its CPP activity. Mass spectrometry analysis demonstrates that sCrot and nCrot have equal molecular mass and biological function—the capacity to induce spastic paralysis in the hind limbs in mice. sCrot CPP activity was evaluated in a wide range of tumor and non-tumor cell tests performed at different time points. We demonstrate that sCrot-Cy3 showed distinct co-localization patterns with intracellular membranes inside the tumor and non-tumor cells. Time-lapse microscopy and quantification of sCrot-Cy3 fluorescence signalss in living tumor versus non-tumor cells revealed a significant statistical difference in the fluorescence intensity observed in tumor cells. These data suggest a possible use of sCrot as a molecular probe for tumor cells, as well as, for the selective delivery of anticancer molecules into these tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Caroline Mambelli-Lisboa
- Laboratory of Genetics, Butantan Institute, Sao Paulo 05503-900, Brazil.
- CENTD-Center of Excellence in New Target Discovery, Butantan Institute, Sao Paulo 05503-900, Brazil.
| | - Juliana Mozer Sciani
- CENTD-Center of Excellence in New Target Discovery, Butantan Institute, Sao Paulo 05503-900, Brazil.
- Biochemistry and Biophysics Laboratory, Butantan Institute, Sao Paulo 05503-900, Brazil.
| | - Alvaro Rossan Brandão Prieto da Silva
- Laboratory of Genetics, Butantan Institute, Sao Paulo 05503-900, Brazil.
- CENTD-Center of Excellence in New Target Discovery, Butantan Institute, Sao Paulo 05503-900, Brazil.
| | - Irina Kerkis
- Laboratory of Genetics, Butantan Institute, Sao Paulo 05503-900, Brazil.
- CENTD-Center of Excellence in New Target Discovery, Butantan Institute, Sao Paulo 05503-900, Brazil.
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Hu G, Zheng W, Li A, Mu Y, Shi M, Li T, Zou H, Shao H, Qin A, Ye J. A novel CAV derived cell-penetrating peptide efficiently delivers exogenous molecules through caveolae-mediated endocytosis. Vet Res 2018; 49:16. [PMID: 29439726 PMCID: PMC5812233 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-018-0513-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) is a promising cargo for delivering bioactive molecules. In this study, the N terminus of VP1 from chicken anemia virus, designated as CVP1, was found to carry enriched arginine residues with α-helix. By confocal imaging, flow cytometry and MTT assay, we identified CVP1 as a novel, safe and efficient CPP. CVP1-FITC peptide could entry different types of cells tested with dose dependence, but without cytotoxic effects. Compared with TAT-FITC peptide, the CVP1-FITC peptide showed much higher cell-penetrating activity. Moreover, CVP1 could successfully deliver β-glycosidase, poly (I:C) and plasmid into HCT116 cells. Inhibitors and temperature sensitivity analysis further indicated that the cell-penetrating activity of CVP1 was based on ATP-dependent and caveolae-mediated endocytosis. All these data demonstrate that CVP1 has efficient cell-penetrating activity and great potential for developing a novel delivery vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaowei Hu
- Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Key Laboratory for Avian Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wenlv Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Key Laboratory for Avian Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ao Li
- Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Key Laboratory for Avian Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yaru Mu
- Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Key Laboratory for Avian Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Mingyu Shi
- Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Key Laboratory for Avian Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tuofan Li
- Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Key Laboratory for Avian Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haitao Zou
- Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Key Laboratory for Avian Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongxia Shao
- Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Key Laboratory for Avian Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.,Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Aijian Qin
- Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Key Laboratory for Avian Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China. .,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China. .,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China. .,Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Jianqiang Ye
- Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Key Laboratory for Avian Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China. .,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China. .,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China. .,Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.
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Budagavi DP, Chugh A. Antibacterial properties of Latarcin 1 derived cell-penetrating peptides. Eur J Pharm Sci 2018; 115:43-49. [PMID: 29329747 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2018.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) share certain physicochemical parameters such as amphipathicity, hydrophobicity, cationicity and pI, due to which these two groups of peptides also exhibit overlapping functional characteristics. In our current work, we have evaluated antimicrobial properties of cell-penetrating peptides derived from Latarcin1. Latarcin derived peptide (LDP) exhibited antimicrobial activity against representative microorganisms tested and bactericidal effect against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which was used as model organism of study in the present work. However, LDP exhibited cytotoxicity against HeLa cells. Further, nuclear localization sequence (NLS) was fused to LDP and interestingly, LDP-NLS showed antimicrobial effect against bacteria, showed bactericidal effect against MRSA and also did not exhibit cytotoxicity in HeLa cells till the highest concentrations tested. Thus, our results inferred that fusion of NLS to LDP significantly reduced cytotoxicity of LDP against HeLa cells (Ponnappan and Chugh, 2017) and exhibited significantly higher cell-penetrating activity in MRSA in comparison to LDP alone. Consolidated results of uptake assays, time-kill assays and PI membrane damage assays show that LDP killed MRSA mainly by membrane damage, where as LDP-NLS might have intracellular targets. Owing to its cell-penetrating activity in HeLa cells and antimicrobial activity against MRSA, LDP-NLS efficiently inhibited intracellular infection of MRSA in HeLa cells as observed in invasion assays. Hence, our results suggest that LDP-NLS is a dual action peptide with AMP and CPP activity and could be potential candidate as peptide antibiotic and drug delivery vector in both mammalian and bacterial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Archana Chugh
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India.
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Budagavi DP, Zarin S, Chugh A. Antifungal activity of Latarcin 1 derived cell-penetrating peptides against Fusarium solani. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2017; 1860:250-256. [PMID: 29108892 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides and antimicrobial peptides share physicochemical characteristics and mechanisms of interaction with biological membranes, hence, termed as membrane active peptides. The present study aims at evaluating AMP activity of CPPs. LDP-NLS and LDP are Latarcin 1 derived cell-penetrating peptides and in the current study we have evaluated antifungal and cell-penetrating properties of these CPPs in Fusarium solani. We observed that LDP-NLS and LDP exhibited excellent antifungal activity against the fungus. Cellular uptake experiments with LDP-NLS and LDP showed that LDP-NLS acted as a CPP but LDP uptake into fungal spores and hyphae was negligible. CPP and AMP activity of mutated version of LDP-NLS was also evaluated and it was observed that both the activities of the peptide were compromised, signifying the importance of arginines and lysines present in LDP-NLS for initial interaction of membrane active peptides with biological membranes. Dextrans and Propidium Iodide uptake studies revealed that the mode of entry of LDP-NLS into fungal hyphae is through pore formation. Also, both LDP-NLS and LDP showed no cytotoxicity when infiltered into leaf tissues. Overall, our results suggest that LDP-NLS and LDP are selectively cytotoxic to F. solani and can be a potent peptide based antifungal agents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sheeba Zarin
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Archana Chugh
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India.
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