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Devi M, Paul S. Comprehending the Efficacy of Whitlock's Caffeine-Pincered Molecular Tweezer on β-Amyloid Aggregation. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 39126645 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00387] [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: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) stands as one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative conditions, leading to cognitive impairment, with no cure and preventive measures. Misfolding and aberrant aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides are believed to be the underlying cause of AD. These amyloid aggregates culminate in the development of toxic Aβ oligomers and subsequent accumulation of β-amyloid plaques amidst neuronal cells in the brain, marking the hallmarks of AD. Drug development for the potentially curative treatment of Alzheimer's is, therefore, a tremendous challenge for the scientific community. In this study, we investigate the potency of Whitlock's caffeine-armed molecular tweezer in combating the deleterious effects of Aβ aggregation, with special emphasis on the seven residue Aβ16-22 fragment. Extensive all-atom molecular dynamics simulations are conducted to probe the various structural and conformational transitions of the peptides in an aqueous medium in both the presence and absence of tweezers. To explore the specifics of peptide-tweezer interactions, radial distribution functions, contact number calculations, binding free energies, and 2-D kernel density plots depicting the variation of distance-angle between the aromatic planes of the peptide-tweezer pair are computed. The central hydrophobic core, particularly the aromatic Phe residues, is crucial in the development of harmful amyloid oligomers. Notably, all analyses indicate reduced interpeptide interactions in the presence of the tweezer, which is attributed to the tweezer-Phe aromatic interaction. Upon increasing the tweezer concentration, the residues of the peptide are further encased in a hydrophobic environment created by the self-aggregating tweezer cluster, leading to the segregation of the peptide residues. This is further aided by the weakening of interstrand hydrogen bonding between the peptides, thereby impeding their self-aggregation and preventing the formation of neurotoxic β-amyloid. Furthermore, the study also highlights the efficacy of the molecular tweezer in destabilizing preformed amyloid fibrils as well as hindering the aggregation of the full-length Aβ1-42 peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhusmita Devi
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
| | - Sandip Paul
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
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Moral R, Paul S. Exploring Cyclic Peptide Nanotube Stability Across Diverse Lipid Bilayers and Unveiling Water Transport Dynamics. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:882-895. [PMID: 38134046 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic Peptide Nanotubes (CPNTs) have emerged as compelling candidates for various applications, particularly as nanochannels within lipid bilayers. In this study, the stability of two CPNTs, namely 8 × [(Cys-Gly-Met-Gly)2] and 8 × [(Gly-Leu)4], are comprehensively investigated across different lipid bilayers, including 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), a mixed model membrane (POPE/POPG), and a realistic yeast model membrane. The results demonstrate that both CPNTs maintain their tubular structures in all lipid bilayers, with [(Cys-Gly-Met-Gly)2] showing increased stability over an extended period in these lipid membranes. The insertion of CPNTs shows negligible impact on lipid bilayer properties, including area per lipid, volume per lipid, and bilayer thickness. The study demonstrates that the CPNT preserves its two-line water movement pattern within all the lipid membranes, reaffirming their potential as water channels. The MSD curves further reveal that the dynamics of water molecules inside the nanotube are similar for all the bilayer systems with minor differences that arise due to different lipid environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rimjhim Moral
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
| | - Sandip Paul
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
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Feng S, Park S, Choi YK, Im W. CHARMM-GUI Membrane Builder: Past, Current, and Future Developments and Applications. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:2161-2185. [PMID: 37014931 PMCID: PMC10174225 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c01246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations of membranes and membrane proteins serve as computational microscopes, revealing coordinated events at the membrane interface. As G protein-coupled receptors, ion channels, transporters, and membrane-bound enzymes are important drug targets, understanding their drug binding and action mechanisms in a realistic membrane becomes critical. Advances in materials science and physical chemistry further demand an atomistic understanding of lipid domains and interactions between materials and membranes. Despite a wide range of membrane simulation studies, generating a complex membrane assembly remains challenging. Here, we review the capability of CHARMM-GUI Membrane Builder in the context of emerging research demands, as well as the application examples from the CHARMM-GUI user community, including membrane biophysics, membrane protein drug-binding and dynamics, protein-lipid interactions, and nano-bio interface. We also provide our perspective on future Membrane Builder development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shasha Feng
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Soohyung Park
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Yeol Kyo Choi
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Wonpil Im
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
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Zheng Y, Guo M, Wu S, Wang W, Jin M, Wang Q, Wang K. Construction of a DNA Nanoassembly Based on Spatially Ordered Recognition Elements for Inhibiting β-Amyloid Aggregation. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:2192-2203. [PMID: 36735839 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
A β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation process is a spontaneous process where the original random coil or helical structure changes into a regularly arranged β-sheet structure. The development of inhibitors with the features of low cost, high efficiency, and biosafety by targeting Aβ self-aggregation is significant for Alzheimer's disease treatment. However, the issues of low inhibition efficiency under low concentrations of inhibitors and biological toxicity are currently to be addressed. To resolve the above problems, a DNA nanoassembly (HCR-Apt) based on spatially ordered recognition elements was constructed by targeted disruption of Aβ ordered arrangement. It was discovered that HCR-Apt could inhibit effectively the fibrillation of Aβ40 monomers and oligomers at substoichiometric ratios. This may be due to orderly arrangement of aptamers in rigid nanoskeletons for enhancing the recognition interaction between aptamers and Aβ40. The strong interaction between HCR-Apt and Aβ40 limited the flexible conformational conversion of Aβ40 molecules, thereby inhibiting their self-assembly. Computational simulations and experimental analysis revealed the interactions of Apt42 with Aβ40, which explained different inhibition effects on the fibrillation of Aβ40 monomers and oligomers. Furthermore, the analysis of tyrosine intrinsic fluorescence spectra and surface plasmon resonance imaging showed that the interaction of HCR-Apt and Aβ40 was stronger than that of Apt42 and Aβ40. These findings contributed to establishing a promising method of boosting the recognition interaction by orderly arrangement of recognition elements. Taken together, this work is expected to provide a simple and efficient strategy for inhibiting Aβ aggregation, expanding aptamer's application potential in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Institute of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Mingmei Guo
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Institute of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Shang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Institute of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Weizhi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Institute of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Meimei Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Qing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Kemin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
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Roy R, Paul S. Illustrating the Effect of Small Molecules Derived from Natural Resources on Amyloid Peptides. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:600-615. [PMID: 36638829 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c07607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The onset of amyloidogenic diseases is associated with the misfolding and aggregation of proteins. Despite extensive research, no effective therapeutics are yet available to treat these chronic degenerative diseases. Targeting the aggregation of disease-specific proteins is regarded as a promising new approach to treat these diseases. In the past few years, rapid progress in this field has been made in vitro, in vivo, and in silico to generate potential drug candidates, ranging from small molecules to polymers to nanoparticles. Small molecular probes, mostly those derived from natural sources, have been of particular interest among amyloid inhibitors. Here, we summarize some of the most important natural small molecular probes which can inhibit the aggregation of Aβ, hIAPP, and α-syn peptides and discuss how their binding efficacy and preference for the peptides vary with their structure and conformation. This provides a comprehensive idea of the crucial factors which should be incorporated into the future design of novel drug candidates useful for the treatment of amyloid diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rituparna Roy
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati Assam-781039, India
| | - Sandip Paul
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati Assam-781039, India
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