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Kim HW, Ko MK, Park SH, Shin S, Kim SM, Park JH, Lee MJ. Bestatin, A Pluripotent Immunomodulatory Small Molecule, Drives Robust and Long-Lasting Immune Responses as an Adjuvant in Viral Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1690. [PMID: 38006022 PMCID: PMC10675184 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11111690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
An inactivated whole-virus vaccine is currently used to prevent foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Although this vaccine is effective, it offers short-term immunity that requires regular booster immunizations and has several side effects, including local reactions at the vaccination site. To address these limitations, herein, we evaluated the efficacy of bestatin as a novel small molecule adjuvant for inactivated FMD vaccines. Our findings showed that the FMD vaccine formulated with bestatin enhanced early, intermediate-, and particularly long-term immunity in experimental animals (mice) and target animals (pigs). Furthermore, cytokines (interferon (IFN)α, IFNβ, IFNγ, and interleukin (IL)-29), retinoic acid-inducible gene (RIG)-I, and T-cell and B-cell core receptors (cluster of differentiation (CD)28, CD19, CD21, and CD81) markedly increased in the group that received the FMD vaccine adjuvanted with bestatin in pigs compared with the control. These results indicate the significant potential of bestatin to improve the efficacy of inactivated FMD vaccines in terms of immunomodulatory function for the simultaneous induction of potent cellular and humoral immune response and a long-lasting memory response.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Min Ja Lee
- Center for Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccine Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, 177 Hyeoksin 8-ro, Gimcheon-si 39660, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea; (H.W.K.); (M.-K.K.); (S.H.P.); (S.S.); (S.-M.K.); (J.-H.P.)
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2
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Harrison RES, Zewde NT, Narkhede YB, Hsu RV, Morikis D, Vullev VI, Palermo G. Factor H-Inspired Design of Peptide Biomarkers of the Complement C3d Protein. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:1054-1059. [PMID: 32435425 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.9b00663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
C3d is a hallmark protein of the complement system, whose presence is critical to measure the progression of several immune diseases. Here, we propose to directly target C3d through small peptides mimicking the binding of its natural ligand, the complement regulator Factor H (FH). Through iterative computational analysis and binding affinity experiments, we establish a rationale for the structure-based design of FH-inspired peptides, leading to low-micromolar affinity for C3d and stable binding over microsecond-length simulations. Our FH-inspired peptides call now for further optimization toward high-affinity binding and suggest that small peptides are promising as novel C3d biomarkers and therapeutic tools.
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3
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Mohan R, Wilson M, Gorham RD, Harrison RES, Morikis VA, Kieslich CA, Orr AA, Coley AV, Tamamis P, Morikis D. Virtual Screening of Chemical Compounds for Discovery of Complement C3 Ligands. ACS OMEGA 2018; 3:6427-6438. [PMID: 30221234 PMCID: PMC6130793 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b00606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The complement system is our first line of defense against foreign pathogens, but when it is not properly regulated, complement is implicated in the pathology of several autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Compstatin is a peptidic complement inhibitor that acts by blocking the cleavage of complement protein C3 to the proinflammatory fragment C3a and opsonin fragment C3b. In this study, we aim to identify druglike small-molecule complement inhibitors with physicochemical, geometric, and binding properties similar to those of compstatin. We employed two approaches using various high-throughput virtual screening methods, which incorporate molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, pharmacophore model design, energy calculations, and molecular docking and scoring. We have generated a library of 274 chemical compounds with computationally predicted binding affinities for the compstatin binding site of C3. We have tested subsets of these chemical compounds experimentally for complement inhibitory activity, using hemolytic assays, and for binding affinity, using microscale thermophoresis. As a result, although none of the compounds showed inhibitory activity, compound 29 was identified to exhibit weak competitive binding against a potent compstatin analogue, therefore validating our computational approaches. Additional docking and MD simulation studies suggest that compound 29 interacts with C3 residues, which have been shown to be important in binding of compstatin to the C3c fragment of C3. Compound 29 is amenable to physicochemical optimization to acquire inhibitory properties. Additionally, it is possible that some of the untested compounds will demonstrate binding and inhibition in future experimental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohith
R. Mohan
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of California,
Riverside, 900 University
Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Mark Wilson
- Artie
McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3122 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843, United
States
| | - Ronald D. Gorham
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of California,
Riverside, 900 University
Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Reed E. S. Harrison
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of California,
Riverside, 900 University
Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Vasilios A. Morikis
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of California,
Riverside, 900 University
Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Chris A. Kieslich
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of California,
Riverside, 900 University
Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Asuka A. Orr
- Artie
McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3122 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843, United
States
| | - Alexis V. Coley
- Artie
McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3122 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843, United
States
| | - Phanourios Tamamis
- Artie
McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3122 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843, United
States
| | - Dimitrios Morikis
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of California,
Riverside, 900 University
Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
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4
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Devaurs D, Papanastasiou M, Antunes DA, Abella JR, Moll M, Ricklin D, Lambris JD, Kavraki LE. Native State of Complement Protein C3d Analysed via Hydrogen Exchange and Conformational Sampling. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY AND DRUG DESIGN 2018; 11:90-113. [PMID: 30700993 PMCID: PMC6349257 DOI: 10.1504/ijcbdd.2018.090834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Hydrogen/deuterium exchange detected by mass spectrometry (HDXMS) provides valuable information on protein structure and dynamics. Although HDX-MS data is often interpreted using crystal structures, it was suggested that conformational ensembles produced by molecular dynamics simulations yield more accurate interpretations. In this paper, we analyse the complement protein C3d by performing an HDX-MS experiment, and evaluate several interpretation methodologies using an existing prediction model to derive HDX-MS data from protein structure. To interpret and refine C3d's HDX-MS data, we look for a conformation (or conformational ensemble) of C3d that allows computationally replicating this data. We confirm that crystal structures are not a good choice and suggest that conformational ensembles produced by molecular dynamics simulations might not always be satisfactory either. Finally, we show that coarse-grained conformational sampling of C3d produces a conformation from which its HDX-MS data can be replicated and refined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Didier Devaurs
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Malvina Papanastasiou
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dinler A Antunes
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jayvee R Abella
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mark Moll
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Daniel Ricklin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - John D Lambris
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lydia E Kavraki
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
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5
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Garcia BL, Skaff DA, Chatterjee A, Hanning A, Walker JK, Wyckoff GJ, Geisbrecht BV. Identification of C3b-Binding Small-Molecule Complement Inhibitors Using Cheminformatics. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 198:3705-3718. [PMID: 28298523 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1601932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The complement system is an elegantly regulated biochemical cascade formed by the collective molecular recognition properties and proteolytic activities of more than two dozen membrane-bound or serum proteins. Complement plays diverse roles in human physiology, such as acting as a sentry against invading microorganisms, priming of the adaptive immune response, and removal of immune complexes. However, dysregulation of complement can serve as a trigger for a wide range of human diseases, which include autoimmune, inflammatory, and degenerative conditions. Despite several potential advantages of modulating complement with small-molecule inhibitors, small-molecule drugs are highly underrepresented in the current complement-directed therapeutics pipeline. In this study, we have employed a cheminformatics drug discovery approach based on the extensive structural and functional knowledge available for the central proteolytic fragment of the cascade, C3b. Using parallel in silico screening methodologies, we identified 45 small molecules that putatively bind C3b near ligand-guided functional hot spots. Surface plasmon resonance experiments resulted in the validation of seven dose-dependent C3b-binding compounds. Competition-based biochemical assays demonstrated the ability of several C3b-binding compounds to interfere with binding of the original C3b ligand that guided their discovery. In vitro assays of complement function identified a single complement inhibitory compound, termed cmp-5, and mechanistic studies of the cmp-5 inhibitory mode revealed it acts at the level of C5 activation. This study has led to the identification of a promising new class of C3b-binding small-molecule complement inhibitors and, to our knowledge, provides the first demonstration of cheminformatics-based, complement-directed drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon L Garcia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506
| | - D Andrew Skaff
- Division of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64110
| | - Arindam Chatterjee
- Department of Pharmacological and Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63104; and
| | | | - John K Walker
- Department of Pharmacological and Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63104; and
| | - Gerald J Wyckoff
- Division of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64110
| | - Brian V Geisbrecht
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506;
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6
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Zhang Y, Guo J, Li L, Liu X, Yao X, Liu H. The solvent at antigen-binding site regulated C3d–CR2 interactions through the C-terminal tail of C3d at different ion strengths: insights from molecular dynamics simulation. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2016; 1860:2220-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Revised: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Abstract
![]()
Electrostatic effects
are ubiquitous in protein interactions and
are found to be pervasive in the complement system as well. The interaction
between complement fragment C3d and complement receptor 2 (CR2) has
evolved to become a link between innate and adaptive immunity. Electrostatic
interactions have been suggested to be the driving factor for the
association of the C3d:CR2 complex. In this study, we investigate
the effects of ionic strength and mutagenesis on the association of
C3d:CR2 through Brownian dynamics simulations. We demonstrate that
the formation of the C3d:CR2 complex is ionic strength-dependent,
suggesting the presence of long-range electrostatic steering that
accelerates the complex formation. Electrostatic steering occurs through
the interaction of an acidic surface patch in C3d and the positively
charged CR2 and is supported by the effects of mutations within the
acidic patch of C3d that slow or diminish association. Our data are
in agreement with previous experimental mutagenesis and binding studies
and computational studies. Although the C3d acidic patch may be locally
destabilizing because of unfavorable Coulombic interactions of like
charges, it contributes to the acceleration of association. Therefore,
acceleration of function through electrostatic steering takes precedence
to stability. The site of interaction between C3d and CR2 has been
the target for delivery of CR2-bound nanoparticle, antibody, and small
molecule biomarkers, as well as potential therapeutics. A detailed
knowledge of the physicochemical basis of C3d:CR2 association may
be necessary to accelerate biomarker and drug discovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohith R Mohan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California , Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Gary A Huber
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California , San Diego, California 92093, United States
| | - Dimitrios Morikis
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California , Riverside, California 92521, United States
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8
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Škopić MK, Bugain O, Jung K, Onstein S, Brandherm S, Kalliokoski T, Brunschweiger A. Design and synthesis of DNA-encoded libraries based on a benzodiazepine and a pyrazolopyrimidine scaffold. MEDCHEMCOMM 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6md00243a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
DNA-encoded libraries based on scaffolds functionalized for DNA-compatible chemistry were synthesized by split-and-pool combinatorial chemistry. The library design was aided by a chemoinformatic filtering cascade.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Klika Škopić
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- Technical University of Dortmund
- D-44227 Dortmund
- Germany
| | - O. Bugain
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- Technical University of Dortmund
- D-44227 Dortmund
- Germany
| | - K. Jung
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- Technical University of Dortmund
- D-44227 Dortmund
- Germany
| | - S. Onstein
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- Technical University of Dortmund
- D-44227 Dortmund
- Germany
| | - S. Brandherm
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- Technical University of Dortmund
- D-44227 Dortmund
- Germany
| | | | - A. Brunschweiger
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- Technical University of Dortmund
- D-44227 Dortmund
- Germany
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