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Merlino F, Secondo A, Mitidieri E, Sorrentino R, Bellavita R, Grasso N, Chatenet D, Pannaccione A, Grieco P, d'Emmanuele di Villa Bianca R, Carotenuto A. Expanding Structure-Activity Relationships of Human Urotensin II Peptide Analogues: A Proposed Key Role of the N-Terminal Region for Novel Urotensin II Receptor Modulators. J Med Chem 2024; 67:13879-13890. [PMID: 39096311 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
While the urotensinergic system plays a role in influencing various pathologies, its potential remains untapped because of the absence of therapeutically effective urotensin II receptor (UTR) modulators. Herein, we developed analogues of human urotensin II (hU-II) peptide in which, along with well-known antagonist-oriented modifications, the Glu1 residue was subjected to single-point mutations. The generated library was tested by a calcium mobilization assay and ex vivo experiments, also in competition with selected ligands. Interestingly, many derivatives showed noncompetitive modulation that was rationalized by the lateral allostery concept applied to a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) multimeric model. UPG-108 showed an unprecedented ability to double the efficacy of hU-II, while UPG-109 and UPG-111 turned out to be negative allosteric modulators of UTR. Overall, our investigation will serve to explore and highlight the expanding possibilities of modulating the UTR system through N-terminally modified hU-II analogues and, furthermore, will aim to elucidate the intricate nature of such a GPCR system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Merlino
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
- Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sui Peptidi Bioattivi "Carlo Pedone" (CIRPeB), University of Naples Federico II, via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Agnese Secondo
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Dentistry Sciences, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Emma Mitidieri
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sorrentino
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Rosa Bellavita
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Nicola Grasso
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - David Chatenet
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Université du Québec, H7 V 1B7 Québec, Canada
| | - Anna Pannaccione
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Dentistry Sciences, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Paolo Grieco
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
- Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sui Peptidi Bioattivi "Carlo Pedone" (CIRPeB), University of Naples Federico II, via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy
| | | | - Alfonso Carotenuto
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
- Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sui Peptidi Bioattivi "Carlo Pedone" (CIRPeB), University of Naples Federico II, via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy
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Zhang C, Liu F, Zhang Y, Song C. Macrocycles and macrocyclization in anticancer drug discovery: Important pieces of the puzzle. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 268:116234. [PMID: 38401189 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116234] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Increasing disease-related proteins have been identified as novel therapeutic targets. Macrocycles are emerging as potential solutions, bridging the gap between conventional small molecules and biomacromolecules in drug discovery. Inspired by successful macrocyclic drugs of natural origins, macrocycles are attracting more attention for enhanced binding affinity and target selectivity. Due to the conformation constraint and structure preorganization, macrocycles can reach bioactive conformations more easily than parent acyclic compounds. Also, rational macrocyclization combined with sequent structural modification will help improve oral bioavailability and combat drug resistance. This review introduces various strategies to enhance membrane permeability in macrocyclization and subsequent modification, such as N-methylation, intramolecular hydrogen bonding modulation, isomerization, and reversible bicyclization. Several case studies highlight macrocyclic inhibitors targeting kinases, HDAC, and protein-protein interactions. Finally, some macrocyclic agents targeting tumor microenvironments are illustrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhang
- Laboratory for Food and Medicine Homologous Natural Resources Development and Utilization, Belgorod College of Food Sciences, Dezhou University, Dezhou, 253023, China
| | - Fenfen Liu
- Laboratory for Food and Medicine Homologous Natural Resources Development and Utilization, Belgorod College of Food Sciences, Dezhou University, Dezhou, 253023, China
| | - Youming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China.
| | - Chun Song
- Laboratory for Food and Medicine Homologous Natural Resources Development and Utilization, Belgorod College of Food Sciences, Dezhou University, Dezhou, 253023, China; State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China.
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3
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Merlino F, Pecoraro A, Longobardi G, Donati G, Di Leva FS, Brignola C, Piccarducci R, Daniele S, Martini C, Marinelli L, Russo G, Quaglia F, Conte C, Russo A, La Pietra V. Development and Nanoparticle-Mediated Delivery of Novel MDM2/MDM4 Heterodimer Peptide Inhibitors to Enhance 5-Fluorouracil Nucleolar Stress in Colorectal Cancer Cells. J Med Chem 2024; 67:1812-1824. [PMID: 38285632 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) often involves wild-type p53 inactivation by MDM2 and MDM4 overexpression, promoting tumor progression and resistance to 5-fluoruracil (5-FU). Disrupting the MDM2/4 heterodimer can proficiently reactivate p53, sensitizing cancer cells to 5-FU. Herein, we developed 16 peptides based on Pep3 (1), the only known peptide acting through this mechanism. The new peptides, notably 3 and 9, showed lower IC50 values than 1. When incorporated into tumor-targeted biodegradable nanoparticles, these exhibited cytotoxicity against three different CRC cell lines. Notably, NPs/9 caused a significant increase in p53 levels associated with a strong increment of its main downstream target p21 inducing apoptosis. Also, the combined treatment of 9 with 5-FU caused the activation of nucleolar stress and a synergic apoptotic effect. Hence, the co-delivery of MDM2/4 heterodimer disruptors with 5-FU through nanoparticles might be a promising strategy to overcome drug resistance in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Merlino
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, NA, Italy
| | - Annalisa Pecoraro
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, NA, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Longobardi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, NA, Italy
| | - Greta Donati
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, NA, Italy
| | | | - Chiara Brignola
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, NA, Italy
| | - Rebecca Piccarducci
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, PI, Italy
| | - Simona Daniele
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, PI, Italy
| | - Claudia Martini
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, via Bonanno, 6, 56126 Pisa, PI, Italy
| | - Luciana Marinelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, NA, Italy
| | - Giulia Russo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, NA, Italy
| | - Fabiana Quaglia
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, NA, Italy
| | - Claudia Conte
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, NA, Italy
| | - Annapina Russo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, NA, Italy
| | - Valeria La Pietra
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, NA, Italy
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Fetse J, Kandel S, Mamani UF, Cheng K. Recent advances in the development of therapeutic peptides. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2023; 44:425-441. [PMID: 37246037 PMCID: PMC10330351 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Peptides have unique characteristics that make them highly desirable as therapeutic agents. The physicochemical and proteolytic stability profiles determine the therapeutic potential of peptides. Multiple strategies to enhance the therapeutic profile of peptides have emerged. They include chemical modifications, such as cyclization, substitution with d-amino acids, peptoid formation, N-methylation, and side-chain halogenation, and incorporation in delivery systems. There have been recent advances in approaches to discover peptides having these modifications to attain desirable therapeutic properties. We critically review these recent advancements in therapeutic peptide development.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Fetse
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2464 Charlotte Street, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
| | - Sashi Kandel
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2464 Charlotte Street, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
| | - Umar-Farouk Mamani
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2464 Charlotte Street, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
| | - Kun Cheng
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2464 Charlotte Street, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA.
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5
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Glycosylation and Lipidation Strategies: Approaches for Improving Antimicrobial Peptide Efficacy. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16030439. [PMID: 36986538 PMCID: PMC10059750 DOI: 10.3390/ph16030439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have recently gained attention as a viable solution for combatting antibiotic resistance due to their numerous advantages, including their broad-spectrum activity, low propensity for inducing resistance, and low cytotoxicity. Unfortunately, their clinical application is limited due to their short half-life and susceptibility to proteolytic cleavage by serum proteases. Indeed, several chemical strategies, such as peptide cyclization, N-methylation, PEGylation, glycosylation, and lipidation, are widely used for overcoming these issues. This review describes how lipidation and glycosylation are commonly used to increase AMPs’ efficacy and engineer novel AMP-based delivery systems. The glycosylation of AMPs, which involves the conjugation of sugar moieties such as glucose and N-acetyl galactosamine, modulates their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, improves their antimicrobial activity, and reduces their interaction with mammalian cells, thereby increasing selectivity toward bacterial membranes. In the same way, lipidation of AMPs, which involves the covalent addition of fatty acids, has a significant impact on their therapeutic index by influencing their physicochemical properties and interaction with bacterial and mammalian membranes. This review highlights the possibility of using glycosylation and lipidation strategies to increase the efficacy and activity of conventional AMPs.
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Billard E, Hébert TE, Chatenet D. EXPLORATION OF THE UROCONTRIN A SCAFFOLD YIELDS NEW UROTENSINERGIC SYSTEM ALLOSTERIC MODULATOR AND COMPETITIVE ANTAGONISTS. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 211:115485. [PMID: 36889446 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115485] [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: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
The urotensinergic system, involved in the development and/or progression of numerous pathological conditions, is composed of one G protein-coupled receptor (UT) and two endogenous ligands known as urotensin II (UII) and urotensin II-related peptide (URP). These two structurally related hormones, which exert common and divergent effects, are thought to play specific biological roles. In recent years, we have characterized an analog termed urocontrin A (UCA), i.e. [Pep4]URP, which is capable of discriminating the effects of UII from URP. Such an action could allow the delineation of the respective functions of these two endogenous ligands. In an effort to define the molecular determinants involved in this behavior and to improve the pharmacological profile of UCA, we introduced modifications from urantide, considered for some time as a lead compound for the development of UT antagonists, into UCA and assessed the binding, contractile activity and G protein signaling of these newly developed compounds. Our results show that UCA and its derivatives exert probe-dependent effects on UT antagonism, and we have further identified [Pen2, Pep4]URP as a Gq biased ligand with an insurmountable antagonism in our aortic ring contraction assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Billard
- INRS - Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Groupe de Recherche en Ingénierie des Peptides et en Pharmacothérapie (GRIPP), Université du Québec, Ville de Laval, Québec H7V 1B7, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 1A3, Canada
| | - Terence E Hébert
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 1A3, Canada
| | - David Chatenet
- INRS - Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Groupe de Recherche en Ingénierie des Peptides et en Pharmacothérapie (GRIPP), Université du Québec, Ville de Laval, Québec H7V 1B7, Canada.
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7
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Wang S, Krummenacher K, Landrum GA, Sellers BD, Di Lello P, Robinson SJ, Martin B, Holden JK, Tom JYK, Murthy AC, Popovych N, Riniker S. Incorporating NOE-Derived Distances in Conformer Generation of Cyclic Peptides with Distance Geometry. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:472-485. [PMID: 35029985 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c01165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data from NOESY (nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy) and ROESY (rotating frame Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy) experiments can easily be combined with distance geometry (DG) based conformer generators by modifying the molecular distance bounds matrix. In this work, we extend the modern DG based conformer generator ETKDG, which has been shown to reproduce experimental crystal structures from small molecules to large macrocycles well, to include NOE-derived interproton distances. In noeETKDG, the experimentally derived interproton distances are incorporated into the distance bounds matrix as loose upper (or lower) bounds to generate large conformer sets. Various subselection techniques can subsequently be applied to yield a conformer bundle that best reproduces the NOE data. The approach is benchmarked using a set of 24 (mostly) cyclic peptides for which NOE-derived distances as well as reference solution structures obtained by other software are available. With respect to other packages currently available, the advantages of noeETKDG are its speed and that no prior force-field parametrization is required, which is especially useful for peptides with unnatural amino acids. The resulting conformer bundles can be further processed with the use of structural refinement techniques to improve the modeling of the intramolecular nonbonded interactions. The noeETKDG code is released as a fully open-source software package available at www.github.com/rinikerlab/customETKDG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuzhe Wang
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Kajo Krummenacher
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Gregory A Landrum
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin D Sellers
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Paola Di Lello
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Sarah J Robinson
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Bryan Martin
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jeffrey K Holden
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jeffrey Y K Tom
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Anastasia C Murthy
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Nataliya Popovych
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Sereina Riniker
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
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Schuster R, Steffen P, Dreyer B, Rohn S, Schlüter H, Riedner M. Identifying Circulating Urotensin II and Urotensin II-Related Peptide-Generating Enzymes in the Human Plasma Fraction Cohn IV-4. J Proteome Res 2021; 20:5368-5378. [PMID: 34734734 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.1c00521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Urotensin II (UII) and UII-related peptide (URP) are vasoactive peptide hormones causing strong vasoconstriction or vasodilation, depending on the type of blood vessel. In humans, the active forms are resulting from proteolytic cleavage of their inactive precursor protein. In blood plasma, a defined protease converting the inactive UII and URP precursors into their active forms has not been identified yet. Using mass spectrometry-based enzyme screening for detecting UII- and URP-converting enzymes, the human plasma fraction Cohn IV-4 was chromatographed, and the resulting fractions were screened for UII- or URP-generating activity. Plasma kallikrein (PK) as a UII- and URP-generating protease was identified. URP generation was also found for the serine protease factor XIa, plasmin, thrombin, and, to a smaller extent, factor XIIa. It was demonstrated that in the Cohn IV-4 fraction, PK accounts for a significant amount of UII- and URP-generating activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Schuster
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Universität Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Pascal Steffen
- Bowel Cancer & Biomarker Lab, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Northern Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2065, Australia
| | - Benjamin Dreyer
- Mass Spectrometric Proteomics, Institute of Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sascha Rohn
- Hamburg School of Food Science, Institute of Food Chemistry, Universität Hamburg, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.,Institute of Food Technology and Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Hartmut Schlüter
- Mass Spectrometric Proteomics, Institute of Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Riedner
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Universität Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
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Avagimyan A, Kajaia A, Gabunia L, Ghambashidze K, Sulashvili N, Ratiani L, Heshmat-Ghahdarijani K, Sheibani M, Aznauryan A. Urotensin-II As a Promising Key-Point of Cardiovascular Disturbances Sequel. Curr Probl Cardiol 2021; 47:101074. [PMID: 34848248 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2021.101074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Arterial hypertension is a highly urgent problem of modern medicine since the crisis of blood pressure control remains open, due to the increasing number of uncontrolled arterial hypertension. Today, one of the most critical problems of cardiology is the study of the mechanisms of development and progression of arterial hypertension. Therefore, our international and multidisciplinary working group presents a vision of a new therapeutic target - urotensin II in the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension. Thus, this article reflects the concept of the Armenian, Georgian and Iranian medical schools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashot Avagimyan
- Department of Pathological Anatomy and Clinical Morphology, Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi, Republic of Armenia.
| | - Albina Kajaia
- Pharmacology Department, Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Luiza Gabunia
- Pharmacology Department, Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | | | - Nodar Sulashvili
- Pharmacology Department, Tbilisi Open University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Levan Ratiani
- Director of the First University Clinic of Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | | | - Mohammad Sheibani
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Artashes Aznauryan
- Histology Department, Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia
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10
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Nassour H, Hoang TA, Martin RD, Dallagnol JCC, Billard É, Létourneau M, Novellino E, Carotenuto A, Allen BG, Tanny JC, Fournier A, Hébert TE, Chatenet D. Lipidated peptides derived from intracellular loops 2 and 3 of the urotensin II receptor act as biased allosteric ligands. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101057. [PMID: 34389356 PMCID: PMC8424217 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last decade, the urotensinergic system, composed of one G protein-coupled receptor and two endogenous ligands, has garnered significant attention as a promising new target for the treatment of various cardiovascular diseases. Indeed, this system is associated with various biomarkers of cardiovascular dysfunctions and is involved in changes in cardiac contractility, fibrosis and hypertrophy contributing, like the angiotensinergic system, to the pathogenesis and progression of heart failure. Significant investment has been made toward the development of clinically relevant UT ligands for therapeutic intervention, but with little or no success to date. This system therefore remains to be therapeutically exploited. Pepducins and other lipidated peptides have been used as both mechanistic probes and potential therapeutics; therefore, pepducins derived from the human urotensin II receptor might represent unique tools to generate signaling bias and study hUT signaling networks. Two hUT-derived pepducins, derived from the second and the third intracellular loop of the receptor (hUT-Pep2 and [Trp1, Leu2]hUT-Pep3, respectively) were synthesized and pharmacologically characterized. Our results demonstrated that hUT-Pep2 and [Trp1, Leu2]hUT-Pep3 acted as biased ago-allosteric modulators, triggered ERK1/2 phosphorylation and to a lesser extent, IP1 production and stimulated cell proliferation yet were devoid of contractile activity. Interestingly, both hUT-derived pepducins were able to modulate human urotensin II (hUII)- and urotensin II-related peptide (URP)-mediated contraction albeit to different extents. These new derivatives represent unique tools to reveal the intricacies of hUT signaling and also a novel avenue for the design of allosteric ligands selectively targeting hUT signaling potentially.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Nassour
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Groupe de Recherche en Ingénierie des Peptides et en Pharmacothérapie (GRIPP), Université du Québec, Ville de Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Tuan Anh Hoang
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Groupe de Recherche en Ingénierie des Peptides et en Pharmacothérapie (GRIPP), Université du Québec, Ville de Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Ryan D Martin
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Juliana C C Dallagnol
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Groupe de Recherche en Ingénierie des Peptides et en Pharmacothérapie (GRIPP), Université du Québec, Ville de Laval, Québec, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montreal, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Étienne Billard
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Groupe de Recherche en Ingénierie des Peptides et en Pharmacothérapie (GRIPP), Université du Québec, Ville de Laval, Québec, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Myriam Létourneau
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Groupe de Recherche en Ingénierie des Peptides et en Pharmacothérapie (GRIPP), Université du Québec, Ville de Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Ettore Novellino
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Alfonso Carotenuto
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Bruce G Allen
- Department of Medicine, Université de Montreal, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jason C Tanny
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Alain Fournier
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Groupe de Recherche en Ingénierie des Peptides et en Pharmacothérapie (GRIPP), Université du Québec, Ville de Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Terence E Hébert
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - David Chatenet
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Groupe de Recherche en Ingénierie des Peptides et en Pharmacothérapie (GRIPP), Université du Québec, Ville de Laval, Québec, Canada.
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Influence of N-Methylation and Conformation on Almiramide Anti-Leishmanial Activity. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26123606. [PMID: 34204673 PMCID: PMC8231256 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26123606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The almiramide N-methylated lipopeptides exhibit promising activity against trypanosomatid parasites. A structure–activity relationship study has been performed to examine the influences of N-methylation and conformation on activity against various strains of leishmaniasis protozoan and on cytotoxicity. The synthesis and biological analysis of twenty-five analogs demonstrated that derivatives with a single methyl group on either the first or fifth residue amide nitrogen exhibited greater activity than the permethylated peptides and relatively high potency against resistant strains. Replacement of amino amide residues in the peptide, by turn inducing α amino γ lactam (Agl) and N-aminoimidazalone (Nai) counterparts, reduced typically anti-parasitic activity; however, peptide amides possessing Agl residues at the second residue retained significant potency in the unmethylated and permethylated series. Systematic study of the effects of methylation and turn geometry on anti-parasitic activity indicated the relevance of an extended conformer about the central residues, and conformational mobility by tertiary amide isomerization and turn geometry at the extremities of the active peptides.
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Billard E, Chatenet D. Insights into the Molecular Determinants Involved in Urocontrin and Urocontrin A Action. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:1717-1722. [PMID: 32944139 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.0c00223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past few years, we have identified two allosteric modulators of the urotensinergic system with probe-dependent action, termed Urocontrin (UC) and Urocontrin A (UCA). Such action is atypical and important since it will allow us to understand the specific function of the functionally selective cognate ligands of this system, namely urotensin II and urotensin II-related peptide. Delineating the molecular determinants involved in this particular behavior would represent an important step toward designing small molecules suitable for pharmacologic and/or therapeutic intervention. Hence, we undertook an exploratory research by replacing the Trp4 residue of URP with several para-substituted phenylalanine amino acids in order to get a grasp on the required nature, distance, and orientation of the side chain of this residue for allosteric modulatory action. We found that the position of the second aromatic group is crucial, and we identified two new allosteric modulators: [Trip4]URP and [Phe(pPy-4)4]URP with probe-dependent action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Billard
- INRS - Institut Armand-Frappier, Groupe de Recherche en Ingénierie des Peptides et en Pharmacothérapie (GRIPP), Université du Québec, Ville de Laval, Québec H7 V 1B7, Canada
| | - David Chatenet
- INRS - Institut Armand-Frappier, Groupe de Recherche en Ingénierie des Peptides et en Pharmacothérapie (GRIPP), Université du Québec, Ville de Laval, Québec H7 V 1B7, Canada
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Breast Tumor Cell Invasion and Pro-Invasive Activity of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Co-Targeted by Novel Urokinase-Derived Decapeptides. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12092404. [PMID: 32847144 PMCID: PMC7564779 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12092404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Among peritumoral cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are major facilitators of tumor progression. This study describes the effects of two urokinase-derived, novel decapeptides, denoted as Pep 1 and its cyclic derivative Pep 2. In a mouse model of tumor dissemination, using HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells, Pep 2 reduced the number and size of lung metastases. Specific binding of fluoresceinated Pep 2 to HT1080 and telomerase immortalised fibroblasts (TIF) cell surfaces was enhanced by αv overexpression or abolished by excess vitronectin, anti-αv antibodies or silencing of ITGAV αv gene, identifying αv-integrin as the Pep 2 molecular target. In 3D-organotypic assays, peptide-exposed TIFs and primary CAFs from breast carcinoma patients both exhibited a markedly reduced pro-invasive ability of either HT1080 fibrosarcoma or MDA-MB-231 mammary carcinoma cells, respectively. Furthermore, TIFs, either exposed to Pep 2, or silenced for αv integrin, were impaired in their ability to chemoattract cancer cells and to contract collagen matrices, exhibiting reduced α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) levels. Finally, peptide exposure of αv-expressing primary CAFs led to the downregulation of α-SMA protein and to a dramatic reduction of their pro-invasive capability. In conclusion, the ability of the novel decapeptides to interfere with tumor cell invasion directly and through the down-modulation of CAF phenotype suggests their use as lead compounds for co-targeting anti-cancer strategies.
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Tomassi S, Trotta AM, Ieranò C, Merlino F, Messere A, Rea G, Santoro F, Brancaccio D, Carotenuto A, D'Amore VM, Di Leva FS, Novellino E, Cosconati S, Marinelli L, Scala S, Di Maro S. Disulfide Bond Replacement with 1,4‐ and 1,5‐Disubstituted [1,2,3]‐Triazole on C‐X‐C Chemokine Receptor Type 4 (CXCR4) Peptide Ligands: Small Changes that Make Big Differences. Chemistry 2020; 26:10113-10125. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.202002468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Tomassi
- Department of Pharmacy University of Naples “Federico II” Via Domenico Montesano 49 80131 Naples Italy
| | - Anna Maria Trotta
- U.O.C. “Bersagli molecolari del microambiente” Istituto Nazionale Tumori—IRCCS—Fondazione “G. Pascale” Via M. Semmola 80131 Naples Italy
| | - Caterina Ieranò
- U.O.C. “Bersagli molecolari del microambiente” Istituto Nazionale Tumori—IRCCS—Fondazione “G. Pascale” Via M. Semmola 80131 Naples Italy
| | - Francesco Merlino
- Department of Pharmacy University of Naples “Federico II” Via Domenico Montesano 49 80131 Naples Italy
| | - Anna Messere
- DiSTABiF University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” Via Vivaldi 43 81100 Caserta Italy
| | - Giuseppina Rea
- U.O.C. “Bersagli molecolari del microambiente” Istituto Nazionale Tumori—IRCCS—Fondazione “G. Pascale” Via M. Semmola 80131 Naples Italy
| | - Federica Santoro
- Department of Pharmacy University of Naples “Federico II” Via Domenico Montesano 49 80131 Naples Italy
| | - Diego Brancaccio
- Department of Pharmacy University of Naples “Federico II” Via Domenico Montesano 49 80131 Naples Italy
| | - Alfonso Carotenuto
- Department of Pharmacy University of Naples “Federico II” Via Domenico Montesano 49 80131 Naples Italy
| | - Vincenzo Maria D'Amore
- Department of Pharmacy University of Naples “Federico II” Via Domenico Montesano 49 80131 Naples Italy
| | - Francesco Saverio Di Leva
- Department of Pharmacy University of Naples “Federico II” Via Domenico Montesano 49 80131 Naples Italy
| | - Ettore Novellino
- Department of Pharmacy University of Naples “Federico II” Via Domenico Montesano 49 80131 Naples Italy
| | - Sandro Cosconati
- DiSTABiF University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” Via Vivaldi 43 81100 Caserta Italy
| | - Luciana Marinelli
- Department of Pharmacy University of Naples “Federico II” Via Domenico Montesano 49 80131 Naples Italy
| | - Stefania Scala
- U.O.C. “Bersagli molecolari del microambiente” Istituto Nazionale Tumori—IRCCS—Fondazione “G. Pascale” Via M. Semmola 80131 Naples Italy
| | - Salvatore Di Maro
- DiSTABiF University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” Via Vivaldi 43 81100 Caserta Italy
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Zappavigna S, Abate M, Cossu AM, Lusa S, Campani V, Scotti L, Luce A, Yousif AM, Merlino F, Grieco P, De Rosa G, Caraglia M. Urotensin-II-Targeted Liposomes as a New Drug Delivery System towards Prostate and Colon Cancer Cells. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2019; 2019:9293560. [PMID: 31929800 PMCID: PMC6942863 DOI: 10.1155/2019/9293560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Urotensin-II (UT-II) and its receptor (UTR) are involved in the occurrence of different epithelial cancers. In particular, UTR was found overexpressed on colon, bladder, and prostate cancer cells. The conjugation of ligands, able to specifically bind receptors that are overexpressed on cancer cells, to liposome surface represents an efficient active targeting strategy to enhance selectivity and efficiency of drug delivery systems. The aim of this study was to develop liposomes conjugated with UT-II (LipoUT) for efficient targeting of cancer cells that overexpress UTR. The liposomes had a mean diameter between 150 nm and 160 nm with a narrow size distribution (PI ≤ 0.1) and a doxo encapsulation efficiency of 96%. Moreover, the conjugation of UT-II to liposomes weakly reduced the zeta potential. We evaluated UTR expression on prostate (DU145, PC3, and LNCaP) and colon (WIDR and LoVo) cancer cells by FACS and western blotting analysis. UTR protein was expressed in all the tested cell lines; the level of expression was higher in WIDR, PC3, and LNCaP cells compared with LoVo and DU145. MTT cell viability assay showed that LipoUT-doxo was more active than Lipo-doxo on the growth inhibition of cells that overexpressed UTR (PC3, LNCaP, and WIDR) while in LoVo and DU145 cell lines, the activity was similar to or lower than that one of Lipo-doxo, respectively. Moreover, we found that cell uptake of Bodipy-labeled liposomes in PC3 and DU145 was higher for LipoUT than the not-armed counterparts but at higher extent in UTR overexpressing PC3 cells (about 2-fold higher), as evaluated by both confocal and FACS. In conclusion, the encapsulation of doxo in UT-II-targeted liposomes potentiated its delivery in UTR-overexpressing cells and could represent a new tool for the targeting of prostate and colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Zappavigna
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Via L. de Crecchio, 7, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Marianna Abate
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Via L. de Crecchio, 7, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Alessia Maria Cossu
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Via L. de Crecchio, 7, 80138 Naples, Italy
- Biogem Scarl, Institute of Genetic Research, Laboratory of Molecular and Precision Oncology, 83031 Ariano Irpino, Italy
| | - Sara Lusa
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via D. Montesano, 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Virginia Campani
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via D. Montesano, 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Lorena Scotti
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via D. Montesano, 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Amalia Luce
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Via L. de Crecchio, 7, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Ali Munaim Yousif
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via D. Montesano, 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Merlino
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via D. Montesano, 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Paolo Grieco
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via D. Montesano, 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe De Rosa
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via D. Montesano, 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Michele Caraglia
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Via L. de Crecchio, 7, 80138 Naples, Italy
- Biogem Scarl, Institute of Genetic Research, Laboratory of Molecular and Precision Oncology, 83031 Ariano Irpino, Italy
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Millet-Boureima C, Chingle R, Lubell WD, Gamberi C. Cyst Reduction in a Polycystic Kidney Disease Drosophila Model Using Smac Mimics. Biomedicines 2019; 7:biomedicines7040082. [PMID: 31635379 PMCID: PMC6966561 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines7040082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is an inherited malady affecting 12.5 million people worldwide. Therapeutic options to treat PKD are limited, due in part to lack of precise knowledge of underlying pathological mechanisms. Mimics of the second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (Smac) have exhibited activity as antineoplastic agents and reported recently to ameliorate cysts in a murine ADPKD model, possibly by differentially targeting cystic cells and sparing the surrounding tissue. A first-in-kind Drosophila PKD model has now been employed to probe further the activity of novel Smac mimics. Substantial reduction of cystic defects was observed in the Malpighian (renal) tubules of treated flies, underscoring mechanistic conservation of the cystic pathways and potential for efficient testing of drug prototypes in this PKD model. Moreover, the observed differential rescue of the anterior and posterior tubules overall, and within their physiologically diverse intermediate and terminal regions implied a nuanced response in distinct tubular regions contingent upon the structure of the Smac mimic. Knowledge gained from studying Smac mimics reveals the capacity for the Drosophila model to precisely probe PKD pharmacology highlighting the value for such critical evaluation of factors implicated in renal function and pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ramesh Chingle
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada.
| | - William D Lubell
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada.
| | - Chiara Gamberi
- Biology Department, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada.
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Nassour H, Iddir M, Chatenet D. Towards Targeting the Urotensinergic System: Overview and Challenges. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2019; 40:725-734. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2019.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 08/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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