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You S, McIntyre G, Passioura T. The coming of age of cyclic peptide drugs: an update on discovery technologies. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38872502 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2024.2367024] [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: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cyclic peptides are an established class of pharmaceuticals, with the ability to bind to a broader range of protein targets than traditional small molecules while also being capable of oral availability and cell penetration. Historically, cyclic peptide drugs have been discovered almost exclusively through natural product mining approaches; however, the last two decades have seen the development of display screening approaches capable of rapidly identifying de novo (i.e. not natural product derived) cyclic peptide ligands to targets of interest. AREAS COVERED In this review, the authors describe the current clinical landscape for cyclic peptide pharmaceuticals. This article focuses on the discovery approaches that have led to the development of different classes of molecules and how the development of newer technologies, particularly phage and mRNA display, has broadened the clinical applicability of such molecules. EXPERT OPINION The field of de novo cyclic peptide drug discovery is reaching maturity, with the first drugs identified through display screening approaches reaching the market in recent years. Many more are in clinical trials; however, significant technical challenges remain. Technological improvements will be required over the coming years to facilitate the identification of membrane permeable cyclic peptides capable of oral availability and targeting intracellular proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia You
- Insamo South, Chippendale, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Toby Passioura
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
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2
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Xu Y, Wu Y, Bhargawa B, Hong SH, Yoo IK. The Selective Removal of Bisphenol A Using a Magnetic Adsorbent Fused with Bisphenol A-Binding Peptides. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 17:1651. [PMID: 38612165 PMCID: PMC11012372 DOI: 10.3390/ma17071651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The potential of bisphenol A (BPA)-binding peptides fused to magnetic beads is demonstrated as novel adsorbents that are reusable and highly selective for BPA removal from aqueous environments, in which various interfering substances coexist. Magnetic beads harboring peptides (peptide beads) showed a higher BPA removal capacity (8.6 mg/g) than that of bare beads without peptides (2.0 mg/g). The BPA adsorption capacity of peptide beads increased with the number of peptides fused onto the beads, where monomeric, dimeric, or trimeric repeats of a BPA-binding peptide were fused to magnetic beads. The BPA-adsorbing beads were regenerated using a methanol-acetic acid mixture, and after six regeneration cycles, the adsorption capacity remained above 87% of its initial capacity. The selective removal of BPA was confirmed in the presence of BPA analogs with high structural similarity (bisphenol F and bisphenol S) or in synthetic wastewater. The present work is a pioneering study that investigates the selective affinity of peptides to remove specific organics with high selectivity from complex environmental matrices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Xu
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 44610, Republic of Korea
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Yujie Wu
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 44610, Republic of Korea
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Bharat Bhargawa
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 44610, Republic of Korea
| | - Soon Ho Hong
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 44610, Republic of Korea
| | - Ik-Keun Yoo
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 44610, Republic of Korea
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3
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Muratspahić E, Deibler K, Han J, Tomašević N, Jadhav KB, Olivé-Marti AL, Hochrainer N, Hellinger R, Koehbach J, Fay JF, Rahman MH, Hegazy L, Craven TW, Varga BR, Bhardwaj G, Appourchaux K, Majumdar S, Muttenthaler M, Hosseinzadeh P, Craik DJ, Spetea M, Che T, Baker D, Gruber CW. Design and structural validation of peptide-drug conjugate ligands of the kappa-opioid receptor. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8064. [PMID: 38052802 PMCID: PMC10698194 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43718-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the increasing number of GPCR structures and recent advances in peptide design, the development of efficient technologies allowing rational design of high-affinity peptide ligands for single GPCRs remains an unmet challenge. Here, we develop a computational approach for designing conjugates of lariat-shaped macrocyclized peptides and a small molecule opioid ligand. We demonstrate its feasibility by discovering chemical scaffolds for the kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) with desired pharmacological activities. The designed De Novo Cyclic Peptide (DNCP)-β-naloxamine (NalA) exhibit in vitro potent mixed KOR agonism/mu-opioid receptor (MOR) antagonism, nanomolar binding affinity, selectivity, and efficacy bias at KOR. Proof-of-concept in vivo efficacy studies demonstrate that DNCP-β-NalA(1) induces a potent KOR-mediated antinociception in male mice. The high-resolution cryo-EM structure (2.6 Å) of the DNCP-β-NalA-KOR-Gi1 complex and molecular dynamics simulations are harnessed to validate the computational design model. This reveals a network of residues in ECL2/3 and TM6/7 controlling the intrinsic efficacy of KOR. In general, our computational de novo platform overcomes extensive lead optimization encountered in ultra-large library docking and virtual small molecule screening campaigns and offers innovation for GPCR ligand discovery. This may drive the development of next-generation therapeutics for medical applications such as pain conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edin Muratspahić
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Kristine Deibler
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Novo Nordisk Research Center Seattle, Novo Nordisk A/S, 530 Fairview Ave N #5000, Seattle, WA, 97403, USA
| | - Jianming Han
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Nataša Tomašević
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kirtikumar B Jadhav
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Aina-Leonor Olivé-Marti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Nadine Hochrainer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Roland Hellinger
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Koehbach
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty for Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Jonathan F Fay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Mohammad Homaidur Rahman
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, Saint Louis College of Pharmacy, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Lamees Hegazy
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, Saint Louis College of Pharmacy, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Timothy W Craven
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Balazs R Varga
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Gaurav Bhardwaj
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Kevin Appourchaux
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Susruta Majumdar
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Markus Muttenthaler
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Parisa Hosseinzadeh
- Department of Bioengineering, Knight Campus, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Mariana Spetea
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Tao Che
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy at St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - David Baker
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, WA, 98195, USA.
| | - Christian W Gruber
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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Mazzocato Y, Perin S, Morales-Sanfrutos J, Romanyuk Z, Pluda S, Acquasaliente L, Borsato G, De Filippis V, Scarso A, Angelini A. A novel genetically-encoded bicyclic peptide inhibitor of human urokinase-type plasminogen activator with better cross-reactivity toward the murine orthologue. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 95:117499. [PMID: 37879145 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117499] [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: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
The inhibition of human urokinase-type plasminogen activator (huPA), a serine protease that plays an important role in pericellular proteolysis, is a promising strategy to decrease the invasive and metastatic activity of tumour cells. However, the generation of selective small molecule huPA inhibitors has proven to be challenging due to the high structural similarity of huPA to other paralogue serine proteases. Efforts to generate more specific therapies have led to the development of cyclic peptide-based inhibitors with much higher selectivity against huPA. While this latter property is desired, the sparing of the orthologue murine poses difficulties for the testing of the inhibitor in preclinical mouse model. In this work, we have applied a Darwinian evolution-based approach to identify phage-encoded bicyclic peptide inhibitors of huPA with better cross-reactivity towards murine uPA (muPA). The best selected bicyclic peptide (UK132) inhibited huPA and muPA with Ki values of 0.33 and 12.58 µM, respectively. The inhibition appears to be specific for uPA, as UK132 only weakly inhibits a panel of structurally similar serine proteases. Removal or substitution of the second loop with one not evolved in vitro led to monocyclic and bicyclic peptide analogues with lower potency than UK132. Moreover, swapping of 1,3,5-tris-(bromomethyl)-benzene with different small molecules not used in the phage selection, resulted in an 80-fold reduction of potency, revealing the important structural role of the branched cyclization linker. Further substitution of an arginine in UK132 to a lysine resulted in a bicyclic peptide UK140 with enhanced inhibitory potency against both huPA (Ki = 0.20 µM) and murine orthologue (Ki = 2.79 µM). By combining good specificity, nanomolar affinity and a low molecular mass, the bicyclic peptide inhibitor developed in this work may provide a novel human and murine cross-reactive lead for the development of a potent and selective anti-metastatic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ylenia Mazzocato
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
| | - Stefano Perin
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
| | - Julia Morales-Sanfrutos
- Proteomics Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), C. de Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Zhanna Romanyuk
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
| | - Stefano Pluda
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy; Fidia Farmaceutici S.p.A., Via Ponte della Fabbrica 3/A, Abano Terme 35031, Italy
| | - Laura Acquasaliente
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Borsato
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
| | - Vincenzo De Filippis
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Scarso
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
| | - Alessandro Angelini
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy; European Centre for Living Technology (ECLT), Ca' Bottacin, Dorsoduro 3911, Calle Crosera, 30123 Venice, Italy.
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5
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Lawson KE, Dekle JK, Evans MN, Adamczyk AJ. Deamidation reaction network mapping of pharmacologic and related proteins: impact of solvation dielectric on the degradation energetics of asparagine dipeptides. REACT CHEM ENG 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d2re00110a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Asn-X deamidation pathways in the FV region of the monoclonal antibody (mAb).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph K. Dekle
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Megan N. Evans
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
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6
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Tombling BJ, Lammi C, Lawrence N, Li J, Arnoldi A, Craik DJ, Wang CK. Engineered EGF-A Peptides with Improved Affinity for Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9). ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:429-439. [PMID: 33512150 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The epidermal growth-factor-like domain A (EGF-A) of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor is a promising lead for therapeutic inhibition of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9). However, the clinical potential of EGF-A is limited by its suboptimal affinity for PCSK9. Here, we use phage display to identify EGF-A analogues with extended bioactive segments that have improved affinity for PCSK9. The most potent analogue, TEX-S2_03, demonstrated ∼130-fold improved affinity over the parent domain and had a reduced calcium dependency for efficient PCSK9 binding. Thermodynamic binding analysis suggests the improved affinity of TEX-S2_03 is enthalpically driven, indicating favorable interactions are formed between the extended segment of TEX-S2_03 and the PCSK9 surface. The improved affinity of TEX-S2_03 resulted in increased activity in competition binding assays and more efficient restoration of LDL receptor levels with clearance of extracellular LDL cholesterol in functional cell assays. These results confirm that TEX-S2_03 is a promising therapeutic lead for treating hypercholesterolemia. Many EGF-like domains are involved in disease-related protein-protein interactions; therefore, our strategy for engineering EGF-like domains has the potential to be broadly implemented in EGF-based drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J. Tombling
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Carmen Lammi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Nicole Lawrence
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Jianqiang Li
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Arnoldi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Conan K. Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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7
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Huang H, Damjanovic J, Miao J, Lin YS. Cyclic peptides: backbone rigidification and capability of mimicking motifs at protein-protein interfaces. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:607-616. [PMID: 33331371 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp04633g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Cyclization is commonly employed in efforts to improve the target binding affinity of peptide-based probes and therapeutics. Many structural motifs have been identified at protein-protein interfaces and provide promising targets for inhibitor design using cyclic peptides. Cyclized peptides are generally assumed to be rigidified relative to their linear counterparts. This rigidification potentially pre-organizes the molecules to interact properly with their targets. However, the actual impact of cyclization on, for example, peptide configurational entropy, is currently poorly understood in terms of both its magnitude and molecular-level origins. Moreover, even with thousands of desired structural motifs at hand, it is currently not possible to a priori identify the ones that are most promising to mimic using cyclic peptides nor to select the ideal linker length. Instead, labor-intensive chemical synthesis and experimental characterization of various cyclic peptide designs are required, in hopes of finding one with improved target affinity. Herein, using molecular dynamics simulations of polyglycines, we elucidated how head-to-tail cyclization impacts peptide backbone dihedral entropy and developed a simple strategy to rapidly screen for structures that can be reliably mimicked by preorganized cyclic peptides. As expected, cyclization generally led to a reduction in backbone dihedral entropy; notably, however, this effect was minimal when the length of polyglycines was >9 residues. We also found that the reduction in backbone dihedral entropy upon cyclization of small polyglycine peptides does not result from more restricted distributions of the dihedrals; rather, it was the correlations between specific dihedrals that caused the decrease in configurational entropy in the cyclic peptides. Using our comprehensive cyclo-Gn structural ensembles, we obtained a holistic picture of what conformations are accessible to cyclic peptides. Using "hot loops" recently identified at protein-protein interfaces as an example, we provide clear guidelines for choosing the "easiest" hot loops for cyclic peptides to mimic and for identifying appropriate cyclic peptide lengths. In conclusion, our results provide an understanding of the thermodynamics and structures of this interesting class of molecules. This information should prove particularly useful for designing cyclic peptide inhibitors of protein-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA.
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8
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Tombling BJ, Lammi C, Lawrence N, Gilding EK, Grazioso G, Craik DJ, Wang CK. Bioactive Cyclization Optimizes the Affinity of a Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) Peptide Inhibitor. J Med Chem 2020; 64:2523-2533. [PMID: 33356222 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Peptides are regarded as promising next-generation therapeutics. However, an analysis of over 1000 bioactive peptide candidates suggests that many have underdeveloped affinities and could benefit from cyclization using a bridging linker sequence. Until now, the primary focus has been on the use of inert peptide linkers. Here, we show that affinity can be significantly improved by enriching the linker with functional amino acids. We engineered a peptide inhibitor of PCSK9, a target for clinical management of hypercholesterolemia, to demonstrate this concept. Cyclization linker optimization from library screening produced a cyclic peptide with ∼100-fold improved activity over the parent peptide and efficiently restored low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor levels and cleared extracellular LDL. The linker forms favorable interactions with PCSK9 as evidenced by thermodynamics, structure-activity relationship (SAR), NMR, and molecular dynamics (MD) studies. This PCSK9 inhibitor is one of many peptides that could benefit from bioactive cyclization, a strategy that is amenable to broad application in pharmaceutical design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Tombling
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Carmen Lammi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Nicole Lawrence
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Edward K Gilding
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Giovanni Grazioso
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Conan K Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
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9
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González-Castro R, Gómez-Lim MA, Plisson F. Cysteine-Rich Peptides: Hyperstable Scaffolds for Protein Engineering. Chembiochem 2020; 22:961-973. [PMID: 33095969 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs) are small proteins of less than 100 amino acids in length characterized by the presence of disulfide bridges and common end-to-end macrocyclization. These properties confer hyperstability against high temperatures, salt concentration, serum presence, and protease degradation to CRPs. Moreover, their intercysteine domains (loops) are susceptible to residue hypervariability. CRPs have been successfully applied as stable scaffolds for molecular grafting, a protein engineering process in which cysteine-rich structures provide higher thermodynamic and metabolic stability to an epitope and acquire new biological function(s). This review describes the successes and limitations of seven cysteine-rich scaffolds, their bioactive epitopes, and the resulting grafted peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael González-Castro
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV) Unidad de Genómica Avanzada, Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio), Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México.,Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN Unidad Irapuato, Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México
| | - Miguel A Gómez-Lim
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN Unidad Irapuato, Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México
| | - Fabien Plisson
- CONACYT, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV) Unidad de Genómica Avanzada, Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio), Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México
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10
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Chu W, Prodromou R, Day KN, Schneible JD, Bacon KB, Bowen JD, Kilgore RE, Catella CM, Moore BD, Mabe MD, Alashoor K, Xu Y, Xiao Y, Menegatti S. Peptides and pseudopeptide ligands: a powerful toolbox for the affinity purification of current and next-generation biotherapeutics. J Chromatogr A 2020; 1635:461632. [PMID: 33333349 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2020.461632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Following the consolidation of therapeutic proteins in the fight against cancer, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative diseases, recent advancements in biochemistry and biotechnology have introduced a host of next-generation biotherapeutics, such as CRISPR-Cas nucleases, stem and car-T cells, and viral vectors for gene therapy. With these drugs entering the clinical pipeline, a new challenge lies ahead: how to manufacture large quantities of high-purity biotherapeutics that meet the growing demand by clinics and biotech companies worldwide. The protein ligands employed by the industry are inadequate to confront this challenge: while featuring high binding affinity and selectivity, these ligands require laborious engineering and expensive manufacturing, are prone to biochemical degradation, and pose safety concerns related to their bacterial origin. Peptides and pseudopeptides make excellent candidates to form a new cohort of ligands for the purification of next-generation biotherapeutics. Peptide-based ligands feature excellent target biorecognition, low or no toxicity and immunogenicity, and can be manufactured affordably at large scale. This work presents a comprehensive and systematic review of the literature on peptide-based ligands and their use in the affinity purification of established and upcoming biological drugs. A comparative analysis is first presented on peptide engineering principles, the development of ligands targeting different biomolecular targets, and the promises and challenges connected to the industrial implementation of peptide ligands. The reviewed literature is organized in (i) conventional (α-)peptides targeting antibodies and other therapeutic proteins, gene therapy products, and therapeutic cells; (ii) cyclic peptides and pseudo-peptides for protein purification and capture of viral and bacterial pathogens; and (iii) the forefront of peptide mimetics, such as β-/γ-peptides, peptoids, foldamers, and stimuli-responsive peptides for advanced processing of biologics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenning Chu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way room 2-009, Raleigh, NC 27606
| | - Raphael Prodromou
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way room 2-009, Raleigh, NC 27606
| | - Kevin N Day
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way room 2-009, Raleigh, NC 27606
| | - John D Schneible
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way room 2-009, Raleigh, NC 27606
| | - Kaitlyn B Bacon
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way room 2-009, Raleigh, NC 27606
| | - John D Bowen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way room 2-009, Raleigh, NC 27606
| | - Ryan E Kilgore
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way room 2-009, Raleigh, NC 27606
| | - Carly M Catella
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way room 2-009, Raleigh, NC 27606
| | - Brandyn D Moore
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way room 2-009, Raleigh, NC 27606
| | - Matthew D Mabe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way room 2-009, Raleigh, NC 27606
| | - Kawthar Alashoor
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Yiman Xu
- College of Material Science and Engineering, Donghua University, 201620 Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanxin Xiao
- College of Textile, Donghua University, Songjiang District, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China
| | - Stefano Menegatti
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way room 2-009, Raleigh, NC 27606.
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11
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Jiang L, Kirshenbaum K. A modular approach for organizing dimeric coiled coils on peptoid oligomer scaffolds. Org Biomol Chem 2020; 18:2312-2320. [PMID: 32159574 DOI: 10.1039/d0ob00453g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We report a general approach to promote the folding of synthetic oligopeptides capable of forming homodimeric coiled coil assemblies. By pre-organizing the peptides on macrocyclic oligomer scaffolds, the stability of the coiled coils is enhanced with an observed increase in the melting temperature of 30 °C to 40 °C. Molecular dynamics simulations substantiate the hypothesis that the enhanced stability is established by constraining motion at the peptide termini and by pre-organizing intramolecular helix-helix contacts. We demonstrate the modularity of this approach by using a family of peptoid scaffolds to promote the folding of a dimeric coiled coil. Importantly, this strategy for templating coiled coils allows preservation of native amino acid sequences. Comparing a macrocyclic peptoid scaffold to its linear counterparts indicates that both types of assemblies are effective for organizing stable coiled coils. These results will guide future designs of coiled coil peptides for biomedical applications and as building blocks for more complex supramolecular assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linhai Jiang
- Chemistry Department, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
| | - Kent Kirshenbaum
- Chemistry Department, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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12
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Mulligan VK. The emerging role of computational design in peptide macrocycle drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 15:833-852. [PMID: 32345066 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1751117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Drug discovery is a laborious process with rising cost per new drug. Peptide macrocycles are promising therapeutics, though conformational flexibility can reduce target affinity and specificity. Recent computational advancements address this problem by enabling rational design of rigidly folded peptide macrocycles. AREAS COVERED This review summarizes currently approved peptide macrocycle therapeutics and discusses advantages of mesoscale drugs over small molecules or protein therapeutics. It describes the history, rationale, and state of the art of computational tools, such as Rosetta, that allow the design of rigidly structured peptide macrocycles. The emerging pipeline for designing peptide macrocycle drugs is described, including current challenges in designing permeable molecules that can emulate the chameleonic behavior of natural macrocycles. Prospects for reducing computational cost and improving accuracy with emerging computational technologies are also discussed. EXPERT OPINION To embrace computational design of peptide macrocycle drugs, we must shift current attitudes regarding the role of computation in drug discovery, and move beyond Lipinski's rules. This technology has the potential to shift failures to earlier in silico stages of the drug discovery process, improving success rates in costly clinical trials. Given the available tools, now is the time for drug developers to incorporate peptide macrocycle design into drug discovery pipelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikram K Mulligan
- Systems Biology, Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute , New York, NY, USA
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13
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Tombling BJ, Wang CK, Craik DJ. EGF‐artige und andere disulfidreiche Mikrodomänen als therapeutische Molekülgerüste. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201913809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J. Tombling
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australien
| | - Conan K. Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australien
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australien
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14
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Tombling BJ, Wang CK, Craik DJ. EGF-like and Other Disulfide-rich Microdomains as Therapeutic Scaffolds. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:11218-11232. [PMID: 31867866 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201913809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Disulfide bonds typically introduce conformational constraints into peptides and proteins, conferring improved biopharmaceutical properties and greater therapeutic potential. In our opinion, disulfide-rich microdomains from proteins are potentially a rich and under-explored source of drug leads. A survey of the UniProt protein database shows that these domains are widely distributed throughout the plant and animal kingdoms, with the EGF-like domain being the most abundant of these domains. EGF-like domains exhibit large diversity in their disulfide bond topologies and calcium binding modes, which we classify in detail here. We found that many EGF-like domains are associated with disease phenotypes, and the interactions they mediate are potential therapeutic targets. Indeed, EGF-based therapeutic leads have been identified, and we further propose that these domains can be optimized to expand their therapeutic potential using chemical design strategies. This Review highlights the potential of disulfide-rich microdomains as future peptide therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Tombling
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Conan K Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
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15
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Yin H, Craik DJ, Wang CK. Anchor Residues Guide Form and Function in Grafted Peptides. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:7652-7656. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201901572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Huawu Yin
- Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Conan K. Wang
- Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
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16
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Yin H, Craik DJ, Wang CK. Anchor Residues Guide Form and Function in Grafted Peptides. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201901572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Huawu Yin
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Conan K. Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
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17
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Wang CK, Craik DJ. Toward Structure Determination of Disulfide-Rich Peptides Using Chemical Shift-Based Methods. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:1903-1912. [PMID: 30730741 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b10649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Disulfide-rich peptides are a class of molecules for which NMR spectroscopy has been the primary tool for structural characterization. Here, we explore whether the process can be achieved by using structural information encoded in chemical shifts. We examine (i) a representative set of five cyclic disulfide-rich peptides that have high-resolution NMR and X-ray structures and (ii) a larger set of 100 disulfide-rich peptides from the PDB. Accuracy of the calculated structures was dependent on the methods used for searching through conformational space and for identifying native conformations. Although Hα chemical shifts could be predicted reasonably well using SHIFTX, agreement between predicted and experimental chemical shifts was sufficient for identifying native conformations for only some peptides in the representative set. Combining chemical shift data with the secondary structure information and potential energy calculations improved the ability to identify native conformations. Additional use of sparse distance restraints or homology information to restrict the search space also improved the resolution of the calculated structures. This study demonstrates that abbreviated methods have potential for elucidation of peptide structures to high resolution and further optimization of these methods, e.g., improvement in chemical shift prediction accuracy, will likely help transition these methods into the mainstream of disulfide-rich peptide structural biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conan K Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland 4072 , Australia
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18
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Cis/trans isomerization of proline peptide bonds in the backbone of cyclic disulfide‐bridged peptides. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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19
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Belding L, Zaretsky S, Yudin AK, Dudding T. A Mechanistic Model for the Aziridine Aldehyde-Driven Macrocyclization of Peptides. J Org Chem 2018; 83:9119-9124. [PMID: 29966423 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.8b01198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Aziridine aldehyde-driven macrocyclization of peptides is a powerful tool for the construction of biologically active macrocycles. While this process has been used to generate diverse collections of cyclic molecules, its mechanistic underpinnings have remained unclear. To enable progress in this area we have carried out a mechanistic study, which suggests that the cyclization owes its efficiency to a combination of electrostatic attraction between the termini of a nitrilium ion intermediate and intramolecular hydrogen bonding. Our model adequately explains the experimentally observed trends, including diastereoselectivity, and should facilitate the development of other macrocyclization reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee Belding
- Department of Chemistry , Brock University , St. Catharines , Ontario L2S 3A1 , Canada
| | - Serge Zaretsky
- Department of Chemistry , University of Toronto , Toronto , Ontario M5S 2J7 , Canada
| | - Andrei K Yudin
- Department of Chemistry , University of Toronto , Toronto , Ontario M5S 2J7 , Canada
| | - Travis Dudding
- Department of Chemistry , Brock University , St. Catharines , Ontario L2S 3A1 , Canada
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20
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Katyal P, Yang Y, Fu YJ, Iandosca J, Vinogradova O, Lin Y. Binding and backbone dynamics of protein under topological constraint: calmodulin as a model system. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 54:8917-8920. [PMID: 30043775 DOI: 10.1039/c8cc03977a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Herein we present the effect of artificially imposed topological constraint on calmodulin (CaM) backbone dynamics and its molecular recognition behavior. While backbone dynamics of CaM remain largely unperturbed, the thermodynamic profile of CaM binding to the smooth-muscle myosin light-chain kinase (smMLCK) peptide is modulated significantly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Katyal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
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21
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Wang CK, Ghani HA, Bundock A, Weidmann J, Harvey PJ, Edwards IA, Schroeder CI, Swedberg JE, Craik DJ. Calcium-Mediated Allostery of the EGF Fold. ACS Chem Biol 2018; 13:1659-1667. [PMID: 29715432 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain is one of the most abundant disulfide-containing domains in nature and is involved in many cellular processes critical to life. Although many EGF-like domains participate in calcium-dependent functions by responding to the local calcium concentration, little is known about how this responsiveness is programmed at the molecular level. Here, we reveal the structural and environmental determinants underpinning the folding of a synthetic analogue of the EGF-A domain (from the low-density lipoprotein receptor). We show that calcium sensitivity is enabled by an allosteric folding pathway, in which calcium binding is connected to the peptide core through local inter-residue interactions. In the absence of calcium, the fold favors disorder because the inherently weak core is insufficient to stabilize the active form, resulting in substantial loss in activity of 2 orders of magnitude. The EGF-A fold, which can freely transition between active and disordered states, is volatile, and we found it to be intolerant of mutations, unlike other disulfide-rich peptides that have been used as stabilizing frameworks. This volatility is beneficial for modularity/plasticity and appears to have evolved for such a purpose, allowing cellular pathways to sense and respond to environmental cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conan K. Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Hafiza Abdul Ghani
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Anna Bundock
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Joachim Weidmann
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Peta J. Harvey
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Ingrid A. Edwards
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Christina I. Schroeder
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Joakim E. Swedberg
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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22
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Wang CK, Swedberg JE, Harvey PJ, Kaas Q, Craik DJ. Conformational Flexibility Is a Determinant of Permeability for Cyclosporin. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:2261-2276. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b12419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Conan K. Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Joakim E. Swedberg
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Peta J. Harvey
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Quentin Kaas
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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23
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Haney CM, Werner HM, McKay JJ, Horne WS. Thermodynamic origin of α-helix stabilization by side-chain cross-links in a small protein. Org Biomol Chem 2018; 14:5768-73. [PMID: 27006192 DOI: 10.1039/c6ob00475j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Peptide cross-linking has been widely explored as a means of constraining short sequences into stable folded conformations, most commonly α-helices. The prevailing hypothesis for the origin of helix stabilization is an entropic effect resulting from backbone pre-organization; however, obtaining direct evidence bearing on this hypothesis is challenging. Here, we compare the folding thermodynamics of a small helix-rich protein domain and analogues containing one of three common cross-linking motifs. Analysis of the folding free energy landscapes of linear vs. cyclized species reveal consistent trends in the effect of cyclization on folding energetics, as well as subtle differences based on the chemistry of the cross link. Stabilization in all three systems arises entirely from a reduction in the entropic penalty of folding that more than compensates for an enthalpic destabilization of the folded state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor M Haney
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, 219 Parkman Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
| | - Halina M Werner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, 219 Parkman Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
| | - James J McKay
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, 219 Parkman Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
| | - W Seth Horne
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, 219 Parkman Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
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24
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Wu X, Huang YH, Kaas Q, Harvey PJ, Wang CK, Tae HS, Adams DJ, Craik DJ. Backbone cyclization of analgesic conotoxin GeXIVA facilitates direct folding of the ribbon isomer. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:17101-17112. [PMID: 28851841 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.808386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Conotoxin GeXIVA inhibits the α9α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) and is analgesic in animal models of pain. α-Conotoxins have four cysteines that can have three possible disulfide connectivities: globular (CysI-CysIII and CysII-CysIV), ribbon (CysI-CysIV and CysII-CysIII), or bead (CysI-CysII and CysIII-CysIV). Native α-conotoxins preferably adopt the globular connectivity, and previous studies of α-conotoxins have focused on the globular isomers as the ribbon and bead isomers typically have lower potency at nAChRs than the globular form. A recent report showed that the bead and ribbon isomers of GeXIVA are more potent than the globular isomer, with low nanomolar half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50). Despite this high potency, the therapeutic potential of GeXIVA is limited, because like most peptides, it is susceptible to proteolytic degradation and is challenging to synthesize in high yield. Here we used backbone cyclization as a strategy to improve the folding yield as well as increase the serum stability of ribbon GeXIVA while preserving activity at the α9α10 nAChR. Specifically, cyclization of ribbon GeXIVA with a two-residue linker maintained the biological activity at the human α9α10 nAChR and improved stability in human serum. Short linkers led to selective formation of the ribbon disulfide isomer without requiring orthogonal protection. Overall, this study highlights the value of backbone cyclization in directing folding, improving yields, and stabilizing conotoxins with therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaosa Wu
- From the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia and
| | - Yen-Hua Huang
- From the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia and
| | - Quentin Kaas
- From the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia and
| | - Peta J Harvey
- From the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia and
| | - Conan K Wang
- From the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia and
| | - Han-Shen Tae
- the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
| | - David J Adams
- the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- From the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia and
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25
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Li Y, Aboye T, Breindel L, Shekhtman A, Camarero JA. Efficient recombinant expression of SFTI-1 in bacterial cells using intein-mediated protein trans-splicing. Biopolymers 2017; 106:818-824. [PMID: 27178003 DOI: 10.1002/bip.22875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
We report for the first time the recombinant expression of bioactive wild-type sunflower trypsin inhibitor 1 (SFTI-1) inside E. coli cells by making use of intracellular protein trans-splicing in combination with a high efficient split-intein. SFTI-1 is a small backbone-cyclized polypeptide with a single disulfide bridge and potent trypsin inhibitory activity. Recombinantly produced SFTI-1 was fully characterized by NMR and was observed to actively inhibit trypsin. The in-cell expression of SFTI-1 was very efficient reaching intracellular concentration ≈ 40 µM. This study clearly demonstrates the possibility of generating genetically encoded SFTI-based peptide libraries in live E. coli cells, and is a critical first step for developing in-cell screening and directed evolution technologies using the cyclic peptide SFTI-1 as a molecular scaffold. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 106: 818-824, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilong Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-9121
| | - Teshome Aboye
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-9121
| | - Leonard Breindel
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222
| | | | - Julio A Camarero
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-9121.,Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-9121
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26
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Wang CK, Craik DJ. Cyclic peptide oral bioavailability: Lessons from the past. Biopolymers 2016; 106:901-909. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.22878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Revised: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Conan K Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland; Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland; Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
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27
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Wu X, Huang Y, Kaas Q, Craik DJ. Cyclisation of Disulfide‐Rich Conotoxins in Drug Design Applications. European J Org Chem 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.201600402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaosa Wu
- Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of Queensland306 Carmody Road (Building 80)4072BrisbaneAustralia
| | - Yen‐Hua Huang
- Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of Queensland306 Carmody Road (Building 80)4072BrisbaneAustralia
| | - Quentin Kaas
- Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of Queensland306 Carmody Road (Building 80)4072BrisbaneAustralia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of Queensland306 Carmody Road (Building 80)4072BrisbaneAustralia
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28
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Wang CK, Stalmans S, De Spiegeleer B, Craik DJ. Biodistribution of the cyclotide MCoTI-II, a cyclic disulfide-rich peptide drug scaffold. J Pept Sci 2016; 22:305-10. [PMID: 26929247 DOI: 10.1002/psc.2862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Disulfide-rich macrocyclic peptides are promising templates for drug design because of their unique topology and remarkable stability. However, little is known about their pharmacokinetics. In this study, we characterize the biodistribution in mice of Momordica cochinchinensis trypsin inhibitor-II (MCoTI-II), a cyclic three-disulfide-containing peptide that has been used in a number of studies as a drug scaffold. The distribution of MCoTI-II was compared with that of chlorotoxin, which is a four-disulfide-containing peptide that has been used to develop brain tumor imaging agents; dermorphin, which is a disulfide-less peptide; and bovine serum albumin, a large protein. Both MCoTI-II and chlorotoxin distributed predominantly to the serum and kidneys, confirming that they are stable in serum and suggesting that they are eliminated from the blood through renal clearance. Although cell-penetrating peptides have been reported to be able to transport across the blood-brain barrier, MCoTI-II, which is a cell-penetrating peptide, showed no uptake into the brain. The uptake of chlorotoxin was higher than that of MCoTI-II but lower than that of dermorphin, which is considered to have low uptake into the brain. This study provides insight into the behavior of disulfide-rich peptides in vivo. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conan K Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Sofie Stalmans
- Drug Quality and Registration (DruQuaR) Group, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bart De Spiegeleer
- Drug Quality and Registration (DruQuaR) Group, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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