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Ellenbroek BD, Kahler JP, Evers SR, Pomplun SJ. Synthetic Peptides: Promising Modalities for the Targeting of Disease-Related Nucleic Acids. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202401704. [PMID: 38456368 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202401704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
DNA and RNA play pivotal roles in life processes by storing and transferring genetic information, modulating gene expression, and contributing to essential cellular machinery such as ribosomes. Dysregulation and mutations in nucleic acid-related processes are implicated in numerous diseases. Despite the critical impact on health of nucleic acid mutations or dysregulation, therapeutic compounds addressing these biomolecules remain limited. Peptides have emerged as a promising class of molecules for biomedical research, offering potential solutions for challenging drug targets. This review focuses on the use of synthetic peptides to target disease-related nucleic acids. We discuss examples of peptides targeting double-stranded DNA, including the clinical candidate Omomyc, and compounds designed for regulatory G-quadruplexes. Further, we provide insights into both library-based screenings and the rational design of peptides to target regulatory human RNA scaffolds and viral RNAs, emphasizing the potential of peptides in addressing nucleic acid-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sophie R Evers
- Leiden University, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Present address, Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Wintherthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
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2
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Pham TL, Thomas F. Design of Functional Globular β-Sheet Miniproteins. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202300745. [PMID: 38275210 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The design of discrete β-sheet peptides is far less advanced than e. g. the design of α-helical peptides. The reputation of β-sheet peptides as being poorly soluble and aggregation-prone often hinders active design efforts. Here, we show that this reputation is unfounded. We demonstrate this by looking at the β-hairpin and WW domain. Their structure and folding have been extensively studied and they have long served as model systems to investigate protein folding and folding kinetics. The resulting fundamental understanding has led to the development of hyperstable β-sheet scaffolds that fold at temperatures of 100 °C or high concentrations of denaturants. These have been used to design functional miniproteins with protein or nucleic acid binding properties, in some cases with such success that medical applications are conceivable. The β-sheet scaffolds are not always completely rigid, but can be specifically designed to respond to changes in pH, redox potential or presence of metal ions. Some engineered β-sheet peptides also exhibit catalytic properties, although not comparable to those of natural proteins. Previous reviews have focused on the design of stably folded and non-aggregating β-sheet sequences. In our review, we now also address design strategies to obtain functional miniproteins from β-sheet folding motifs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Truc Lam Pham
- Truc Lam Pham, Prof. Dr. Franziska Thomas, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Franziska Thomas
- Truc Lam Pham, Prof. Dr. Franziska Thomas, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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3
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Marshall LK, Fahrenbach AC, Thordarson P. RNA-Binding Peptides Inspired by the RNA Recognition Motif. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:243-248. [PMID: 38314708 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00694] [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: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
β-Hairpin peptides with RNA-binding sequences mimicking the central two β-strands of the RNA recognition motif (RRM) protein domain have been observed to bind in a 2:1 fashion to a series of RNA homooligonucleotides in aqueous solution (PBS buffer, pH 7.40) with binding energies (-27 to -35 kJ mol-1) similar to those of full-size protein RRMs. The peptides display mild selectivities with respect to the binding of the different homooligomers. Binding studies in 500 mM magnesium chloride suggest that the complex formation is not predominantly driven by Coulombic attraction. These peptides represent a starting point for further studies of non-Coulombic binding of RNA by peptides and proteins, which is important in the context of contemporary biology, potential therapeutic applications, and prebiotic peptide-RNA interactions.
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4
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Satalkar V, Degaga GD, Li W, Pang YT, McShan AC, Gumbart JC, Mitchell JC, Torres MP. Generative β-hairpin design using a residue-based physicochemical property landscape. Biophys J 2024:S0006-3495(24)00070-5. [PMID: 38297834 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
De novo peptide design is a new frontier that has broad application potential in the biological and biomedical fields. Most existing models for de novo peptide design are largely based on sequence homology that can be restricted based on evolutionarily derived protein sequences and lack the physicochemical context essential in protein folding. Generative machine learning for de novo peptide design is a promising way to synthesize theoretical data that are based on, but unique from, the observable universe. In this study, we created and tested a custom peptide generative adversarial network intended to design peptide sequences that can fold into the β-hairpin secondary structure. This deep neural network model is designed to establish a preliminary foundation of the generative approach based on physicochemical and conformational properties of 20 canonical amino acids, for example, hydrophobicity and residue volume, using extant structure-specific sequence data from the PDB. The beta generative adversarial network model robustly distinguishes secondary structures of β hairpin from α helix and intrinsically disordered peptides with an accuracy of up to 96% and generates artificial β-hairpin peptide sequences with minimum sequence identities around 31% and 50% when compared against the current NCBI PDB and nonredundant databases, respectively. These results highlight the potential of generative models specifically anchored by physicochemical and conformational property features of amino acids to expand the sequence-to-structure landscape of proteins beyond evolutionary limits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vardhan Satalkar
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Gemechis D Degaga
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
| | - Wei Li
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Yui Tik Pang
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Andrew C McShan
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - James C Gumbart
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia; School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Julie C Mitchell
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
| | - Matthew P Torres
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia; School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia.
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5
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The Effects of Charged Amino Acid Side-Chain Length on Diagonal Cross-Strand Interactions between Carboxylate- and Ammonium-Containing Residues in a β-Hairpin. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27134172. [PMID: 35807421 PMCID: PMC9268152 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27134172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The β-sheet is one of the common protein secondary structures, and the aberrant aggregation of β-sheets is implicated in various neurodegenerative diseases. Cross-strand interactions are an important determinant of β-sheet stability. Accordingly, both diagonal and lateral cross-strand interactions have been studied. Surprisingly, diagonal cross-strand ion-pairing interactions have yet to be investigated. Herein, we present a systematic study on the effects of charged amino acid side-chain length on a diagonal ion-pairing interaction between carboxylate- and ammonium-containing residues in a β-hairpin. To this end, 2D-NMR was used to investigate the conformation of the peptides. The fraction folded population and the folding free energy were derived from the chemical shift data. The fraction folded population for these peptides with potential diagonal ion pairs was mostly lower compared to the corresponding peptide with a potential lateral ion pair. The diagonal ion-pairing interaction energy was derived using double mutant cycle analysis. The Asp2-Dab9 (Asp: one methylene; Dab: two methylenes) interaction was the most stabilizing (−0.79 ± 0.14 kcal/mol), most likely representing an optimal balance between the entropic penalty to enable the ion-pairing interaction and the number of side-chain conformations that can accommodate the interaction. These results should be useful for designing β-sheet containing molecular entities for various applications.
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6
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Westcott CE, Qazi S, Maiocco AM, Mukhopadhyay S, Sokoloski KJ. Binding of hnRNP I-vRNA Regulates Sindbis Virus Structural Protein Expression to Promote Particle Infectivity. Viruses 2022; 14:v14071423. [PMID: 35891402 PMCID: PMC9318202 DOI: 10.3390/v14071423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Alphaviruses cause significant outbreaks of febrile illness and debilitating multi-joint arthritis for prolonged periods after initial infection. We have previously reported that several host hnRNP proteins bind to the Sindbis virus (SINV) RNAs, and disrupting the sites of these RNA-protein interactions results in decreased viral titers in tissue culture models of infection. Intriguingly, the primary molecular defect associated with the disruption of the hnRNP interactions is enhanced viral structural protein expression; however, the precise underlying mechanisms spurring the enhanced gene expression remain unknown. Moreover, our previous efforts were unable to functionally dissect whether the observed phenotypes were due to the loss of hnRNP binding or the incorporation of polymorphisms into the primary nucleotide sequence of SINV. To determine if the loss of hnRNP binding was the primary cause of attenuation or if the disruption of the RNA sequence itself was responsible for the observed phenotypes, we utilized an innovative protein tethering approach to restore the binding of the hnRNP proteins in the absence of the native interaction site. Specifically, we reconstituted the hnRNP I interaction by incorporating the 20nt bovine immunodeficiency virus transactivation RNA response (BIV-TAR) at the site of the native hnRNP I interaction sequence, which will bind with high specificity to proteins tagged with a TAT peptide. The reestablishment of the hnRNP I-vRNA interaction via the BIV-TAR/TAT tethering approach restored the phenotype back to wild-type levels. This included an apparent decrease in structural protein expression in the absence of the native primary nucleotide sequences corresponding to the hnRNP I interaction site. Collectively, the characterization of the hnRNP I interaction site elucidated the role of hnRNPs during viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E. Westcott
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA;
| | - Shefah Qazi
- Department of Biology, Indiana University—Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; (S.Q.); (S.M.)
| | - Anna M. Maiocco
- Center for Predictive Medicine and Emerging Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA;
| | - Suchetana Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Biology, Indiana University—Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; (S.Q.); (S.M.)
| | - Kevin J. Sokoloski
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA;
- Center for Predictive Medicine and Emerging Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(502)-852-1249
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7
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Abstract
Being able to effectively target RNA with potent ligands will open up a large number of potential therapeutic options. The knowledge on how to achieve this is ever expanding but an important question that remains open is what chemical matter is suitable to achieve this goal. The high flexibility of an RNA as well as its more limited chemical diversity and featureless binding sites can be difficult to target selectively but can be addressed by well-designed cyclic peptides. In this review we will provide an overview of reported cyclic peptide ligands for therapeutically relevant RNA targets and discuss the methods used to discover them. We will also provide critical insights into the properties required for potent and selective interaction and suggestions on how to assess these parameters. The use of cyclic peptides to target RNA is still in its infancy but the lessons learned from past examples can be adopted for the development of novel potent and selective ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunit Pal
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Peter 't Hart
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
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8
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Gupta S, Azadvari N, Hosseinzadeh P. Design of Protein Segments and Peptides for Binding to Protein Targets. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2022; 2022:9783197. [PMID: 37850124 PMCID: PMC10521657 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9783197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent years have witnessed a rise in methods for accurate prediction of structure and design of novel functional proteins. Design of functional protein fragments and peptides occupy a small, albeit unique, space within the general field of protein design. While the smaller size of these peptides allows for more exhaustive computational methods, flexibility in their structure and sparsity of data compared to proteins, as well as presence of noncanonical building blocks, add additional challenges to their design. This review summarizes the current advances in the design of protein fragments and peptides for binding to targets and discusses the challenges in the field, with an eye toward future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suchetana Gupta
- Knight Campus Center for Accelerating Scientific Impact, University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403, USA
| | - Noora Azadvari
- Knight Campus Center for Accelerating Scientific Impact, University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403, USA
| | - Parisa Hosseinzadeh
- Knight Campus Center for Accelerating Scientific Impact, University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403, USA
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9
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Therapeutic peptides: current applications and future directions. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:48. [PMID: 35165272 PMCID: PMC8844085 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-00904-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 437] [Impact Index Per Article: 218.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptide drug development has made great progress in the last decade thanks to new production, modification, and analytic technologies. Peptides have been produced and modified using both chemical and biological methods, together with novel design and delivery strategies, which have helped to overcome the inherent drawbacks of peptides and have allowed the continued advancement of this field. A wide variety of natural and modified peptides have been obtained and studied, covering multiple therapeutic areas. This review summarizes the efforts and achievements in peptide drug discovery, production, and modification, and their current applications. We also discuss the value and challenges associated with future developments in therapeutic peptides.
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10
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Kuepper A, McLoughlin NM, Neubacher S, Yeste-Vázquez A, Collado Camps E, Nithin C, Mukherjee S, Bethge L, Bujnicki JM, Brock R, Heinrichs S, Grossmann TN. Constrained peptides mimic a viral suppressor of RNA silencing. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:12622-12633. [PMID: 34871435 PMCID: PMC8682738 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The design of high-affinity, RNA-binding ligands has proven very challenging. This is due to the unique structural properties of RNA, often characterized by polar surfaces and high flexibility. In addition, the frequent lack of well-defined binding pockets complicates the development of small molecule binders. This has triggered the search for alternative scaffolds of intermediate size. Among these, peptide-derived molecules represent appealing entities as they can mimic structural features also present in RNA-binding proteins. However, the application of peptidic RNA-targeting ligands is hampered by a lack of design principles and their inherently low bio-stability. Here, the structure-based design of constrained α-helical peptides derived from the viral suppressor of RNA silencing, TAV2b, is described. We observe that the introduction of two inter-side chain crosslinks provides peptides with increased α-helicity and protease stability. One of these modified peptides (B3) shows high affinity for double-stranded RNA structures including a palindromic siRNA as well as microRNA-21 and its precursor pre-miR-21. Notably, B3 binding to pre-miR-21 inhibits Dicer processing in a biochemical assay. As a further characteristic this peptide also exhibits cellular entry. Our findings show that constrained peptides can efficiently mimic RNA-binding proteins rendering them potentially useful for the design of bioactive RNA-targeting ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Kuepper
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Dortmund 44227, Germany
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Niall M McLoughlin
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Neubacher
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Alejandro Yeste-Vázquez
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Estel Collado Camps
- Department of Biochemistry, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen 6525 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Chandran Nithin
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Protein Engineering, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Warsaw 02-109, Poland
| | - Sunandan Mukherjee
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Protein Engineering, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Warsaw 02-109, Poland
| | - Lucas Bethge
- Silence Therapeutics GmbH, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Janusz M Bujnicki
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Protein Engineering, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Warsaw 02-109, Poland
| | - Roland Brock
- Department of Biochemistry, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen 6525 GA, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama 293, Bahrain
| | - Stefan Heinrichs
- University Hospital Essen, Institute for Transfusion Medicine, Essen 45147, Germany
| | - Tom N Grossmann
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Dortmund 44227, Germany
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund 44227, Germany
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
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11
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Stanojlovic V, Müller A, Moazzam A, Hinterholzer A, Ożga K, Berlicki Ł, Schubert M, Cabrele C. A Conformationally Stable Acyclic β-Hairpin Scaffold Tolerating the Incorporation of Poorly β-Sheet-Prone Amino Acids. Chembiochem 2021; 23:e202100604. [PMID: 34856053 PMCID: PMC9299858 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The β-hairpin is a structural element of native proteins, but it is also a useful artificial scaffold for finding lead compounds to convert into peptidomimetics or non-peptide structures for drug discovery. Since linear peptides are synthetically more easily accessible than cyclic ones, but are structurally less well-defined, we propose XWXWXpPXK(/R)X(R) as an acyclic but still rigid β-hairpin scaffold that is robust enough to accommodate different types of side chains, regardless of the secondary-structure propensity of the X residues. The high conformational stability of the scaffold results from tight contacts between cross-strand cationic and aromatic side chains, combined with the strong tendency of the d-Pro-l-Pro dipeptide to induce a type II' β-turn. To demonstrate the robustness of the scaffold, we elucidated the NMR structures and performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a series of peptides displaying mainly non-β-branched, poorly β-sheet-prone residues at the X positions. Both the NMR and MD data confirm that our acyclic β-hairpin scaffold is highly versatile as regards the amino-acid composition of the β-sheet face opposite to the cationic-aromatic one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vesna Stanojlovic
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Anna Müller
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Ali Moazzam
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.,School of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14155-6619, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arthur Hinterholzer
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Katarzyna Ożga
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Łukasz Berlicki
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Mario Schubert
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Chiara Cabrele
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
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12
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Kumar A, Vashisth H. Conformational dynamics and energetics of viral RNA recognition by lab-evolved proteins. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:24773-24779. [PMID: 34714308 PMCID: PMC8579469 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp03822b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The conserved and structured elements in viral RNA genomes interact with proteins to regulate various events in the viral life cycle and have become key targets for developing novel therapeutic approaches. We probe physical interactions between lab-evolved proteins and a viral RNA element from the HIV-1 genome. Specifically, we study the role of an arginine-rich loop in recognition of designed proteins by the viral RNA element. We report free energy calculations to quantitatively estimate the protein/RNA binding energetics, focusing on the mutations of arginine residues involved in recognition of the major groove of RNA by proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham 03824, New Hampshire, USA.
| | - Harish Vashisth
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham 03824, New Hampshire, USA.
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13
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Ma W, Zhen G, Xie W, Mayr C. In vivo reconstitution finds multivalent RNA-RNA interactions as drivers of mesh-like condensates. eLife 2021; 10:64252. [PMID: 33650968 PMCID: PMC7968931 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Liquid-like condensates have been thought to be sphere-like. Recently, various condensates with filamentous morphology have been observed in cells. One such condensate is the TIS granule network that shares a large surface area with the rough endoplasmic reticulum and is important for membrane protein trafficking. It has been unclear how condensates with mesh-like shapes but dynamic protein components are formed. In vitro and in vivo reconstitution experiments revealed that the minimal components are a multivalent RNA-binding protein that concentrates RNAs that are able to form extensive intermolecular mRNA-mRNA interactions. mRNAs with large unstructured regions have a high propensity to form a pervasive intermolecular interaction network that acts as condensate skeleton. The underlying RNA matrix prevents full fusion of spherical liquid-like condensates, thus driving the formation of irregularly shaped membraneless organelles. The resulting large surface area may promote interactions at the condensate surface and at the interface with other organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weirui Ma
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Gang Zhen
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Wei Xie
- Structural Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Christine Mayr
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
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14
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Chavali SS, Mali SM, Jenkins JL, Fasan R, Wedekind JE. Co-crystal structures of HIV TAR RNA bound to lab-evolved proteins show key roles for arginine relevant to the design of cyclic peptide TAR inhibitors. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:16470-16486. [PMID: 33051202 PMCID: PMC7864049 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.015444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA-protein interfaces control key replication events during the HIV-1 life cycle. The viral trans-activator of transcription (Tat) protein uses an archetypal arginine-rich motif (ARM) to recruit the host positive transcription elongation factor b (pTEFb) complex onto the viral trans-activation response (TAR) RNA, leading to activation of HIV transcription. Efforts to block this interaction have stimulated production of biologics designed to disrupt this essential RNA-protein interface. Here, we present four co-crystal structures of lab-evolved TAR-binding proteins (TBPs) in complex with HIV-1 TAR. Our results reveal that high-affinity binding requires a distinct sequence and spacing of arginines within a specific β2-β3 hairpin loop that arose during selection. Although loops with as many as five arginines were analyzed, only three arginines could bind simultaneously with major-groove guanines. Amino acids that promote backbone interactions within the β2-β3 loop were also observed to be important for high-affinity interactions. Based on structural and affinity analyses, we designed two cyclic peptide mimics of the TAR-binding β2-β3 loop sequences present in two high-affinity TBPs (KD values of 4.2 ± 0.3 and 3.0 ± 0.3 nm). Our efforts yielded low-molecular weight compounds that bind TAR with low micromolar affinity (KD values ranging from 3.6 to 22 μm). Significantly, one cyclic compound within this series blocked binding of the Tat-ARM peptide to TAR in solution assays, whereas its linear counterpart did not. Overall, this work provides insight into protein-mediated TAR recognition and lays the ground for the development of cyclic peptide inhibitors of a vital HIV-1 RNA-protein interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Shashank Chavali
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Sachitanand M Mali
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Jermaine L Jenkins
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Rudi Fasan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Joseph E Wedekind
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA.
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15
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Shortridge MD, Wille PT, Jones AN, Davidson A, Bogdanovic J, Arts E, Karn J, Robinson JA, Varani G. An ultra-high affinity ligand of HIV-1 TAR reveals the RNA structure recognized by P-TEFb. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:1523-1531. [PMID: 30481318 PMCID: PMC6379670 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky1197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The HIV-1 trans-activator protein Tat binds the trans-activation response element (TAR) to facilitate recruitment of the super elongation complex (SEC) to enhance transcription of the integrated pro-viral genome. The Tat–TAR interaction is critical for viral replication and the emergence of the virus from the latent state, therefore, inhibiting this interaction has long been pursued to discover new anti-viral or latency reversal agents. However, discovering active compounds that directly target RNA with high affinity and selectivity remains a significant challenge; limiting pre-clinical development. Here, we report the rational design of a macrocyclic peptide mimic of the arginine rich motif of Tat, which binds to TAR with low pM affinity and 100-fold selectivity against closely homologous RNAs. Despite these unprecedented binding properties, the new ligand (JB181) only moderately inhibits Tat-dependent reactivation in cells and recruitment of positive transcription elongation factor (P-TEFb) to TAR. The NMR structure of the JB181–TAR complex revealed that the ligand induces a structure in the TAR loop that closely mimics the P-TEFb/Tat1:57/AFF4/TAR complex. These results strongly suggest that high-affinity ligands which bind the UCU bulge are not likely to inhibit recruitment of the SEC and suggest that targeting of the TAR loop will be an essential feature of effective Tat inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Shortridge
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1700
| | - Paul T Wille
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4960
| | - Alisha N Jones
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1700
| | - Amy Davidson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1700
| | - Jasmina Bogdanovic
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland CH-8057
| | - Eric Arts
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4960
| | - Jonathan Karn
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4960
| | - John A Robinson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland CH-8057
| | - Gabriele Varani
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1700
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16
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Abstract
RNA structures play a pivotal role in many biological processes and the progression of human disease, making them an attractive target for therapeutic development. Often RNA structures operate through the formation of complexes with RNA-binding proteins, however, much like protein-protein interactions, RNA-protein interactions span large surface areas and often lack traditional druggable properties, making it challenging to target them with small molecules. Peptides provide much greater surface areas and therefore greater potential for forming specific and high affinity interactions with RNA. In this chapter, we discuss our approach for engineering peptides that bind to structured RNAs by highlighting methods and design strategies from previous successful projects aimed at inhibiting the HIV Tat-TAR interaction and the biogenesis of oncogenic microRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Walker
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Gabriele Varani
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
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17
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Chavali SS, Bonn-Breach R, Wedekind JE. Face-time with TAR: Portraits of an HIV-1 RNA with diverse modes of effector recognition relevant for drug discovery. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:9326-9341. [PMID: 31080171 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev119.006860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Small molecules and short peptides that potently and selectively bind RNA are rare, making the molecular structures of these complexes highly exceptional. Accordingly, several recent investigations have provided unprecedented structural insights into how peptides and proteins recognize the HIV-1 transactivation response (TAR) element, a 59-nucleotide-long, noncoding RNA segment in the 5' long terminal repeat region of viral transcripts. Here, we offer an integrated perspective on these advances by describing earlier progress on TAR binding to small molecules, and by drawing parallels to recent successes in the identification of compounds that target the hepatitis C virus internal ribosome entry site (IRES) and the flavin-mononucleotide riboswitch. We relate this work to recent progress that pinpoints specific determinants of TAR recognition by: (i) viral Tat proteins, (ii) an innovative lab-evolved TAR-binding protein, and (iii) an ultrahigh-affinity cyclic peptide. New structural details are used to model the TAR-Tat-super-elongation complex (SEC) that is essential for efficient viral transcription and represents a focal point for antiviral drug design. A key prediction is that the Tat transactivation domain makes modest contacts with the TAR apical loop, whereas its arginine-rich motif spans the entire length of the TAR major groove. This expansive interface has significant implications for drug discovery and design, and it further suggests that future lab-evolved proteins could be deployed to discover steric restriction points that block Tat-mediated recruitment of the host SEC to HIV-1 TAR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Shashank Chavali
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for RNA Biology, and Center for AIDS Research, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Rachel Bonn-Breach
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for RNA Biology, and Center for AIDS Research, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Joseph E Wedekind
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for RNA Biology, and Center for AIDS Research, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
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18
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Disney MD. Targeting RNA with Small Molecules To Capture Opportunities at the Intersection of Chemistry, Biology, and Medicine. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:6776-6790. [PMID: 30896935 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b13419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The biology of healthy and disease-affected cells is often mediated by RNA structures, desirable targets for small molecule chemical probes and lead medicines. Although structured regions are found throughout the transcriptome, some even with demonstrated functionality, human RNAs are considered recalcitrant to small molecule targeting. However, targeting structured regions with small molecules provides an important alternative to oligonucleotides that target sequence. In this Perspective, we describe challenges and progress in developing small molecules interacting with RNA (SMIRNAs) to capture their significant opportunities at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and medicine. Key to establishing a new paradigm in chemical biology and medicine is the development of methods to obtain, preferably by design, bioactive compounds that modulate RNA targets and companion methods that validate their direct effects in cells and pre-clinical models. While difficult, demonstration of direct target engagement in the complex cellular milieu, along with methods to establish modes of action, is required to push this field forward. We also describe frameworks for accelerated advancements in this burgeoning area, their implications, key new technologies for development of SMIRNAs, and milestones that have led to broader acceptance of RNA as a small molecule druggable target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Disney
- Department of Chemistry , The Scripps Research Institute , Jupiter , Florida 33458 , United States
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19
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Yuan F, Tian Y, Qin W, Li J, Yang D, Zhao B, Yin F, Li Z. Evaluation of topologically distinct constrained antimicrobial peptides with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Org Biomol Chem 2019; 16:5764-5770. [PMID: 30004546 DOI: 10.1039/c8ob00483h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short cationic peptides with a high affinity for membranes and emerged as a promising therapeutic approach with potential for treating infectious diseases. Chemical stabilization of short peptides proved to be a successful approach for enhancing their bio-physical properties. Herein, we designed and synthesized a panel of conformationally constrained antimicrobial peptides with either α-helical or β-hairpin conformation using templating strategies. These synthetic short constrained peptides possess different topological distributions of hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues and displayed distinct antimicrobial activity. Notably, the conformationally constrained α-helical peptides displayed a faster internalization into the bacteria cells compared to their β-hairpin analogues. These synthetic short constrained peptides showed killing effects on a broad spectrum of microorganisms mainly through pore formation and membrane damage which provided a potentially promising skeleton for the next generation of stabilized antimicrobial peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Yuan
- Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, Beijing, 100038, China
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20
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Sun YT, Shortridge MD, Varani G. A Small Cyclic β-Hairpin Peptide Mimics the Rbfox2 RNA Recognition Motif and Binds to the Precursor miRNA 20b. Chembiochem 2019; 20:931-939. [PMID: 30537200 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201800645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The RNA recognition motif (RRM), which is the most abundant RNA-binding motif in eukaryotes, is a well-structured domain of about 90 amino acids, yet the β2β3 hairpin, corresponding to strands 2 and 3 of the β-sheet, and the intervening loop make essential interactions with RNA in many RRM complexes. A series of small cyclic peptide mimics of the β2β3 hairpin of Rbfox2 protein that recognize the terminal loop of precursor miR-20b have been designed to investigate whether the full RNA-binding protein can be mimicked with a minimal structurally preorganized peptide. Within a small library of seven cyclic peptides, a peptide with low-micromolar affinity for the miR-20b precursor was found. NMR spectroscopy titration data suggest that this peptide specifically targets the apical loop of pre-miR-20b. This work shows that it is possible to mimic RNA-binding proteins with designed stable peptides, which provide a starting point for designing or evolving small peptide mimetics of RRM proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ting Sun
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, 4000 15th Ave NE, Bagley Hall, Seattle, WA, 98195-1700, USA
| | - Matthew D Shortridge
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, 4000 15th Ave NE, Bagley Hall, Seattle, WA, 98195-1700, USA
| | - Gabriele Varani
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, 4000 15th Ave NE, Bagley Hall, Seattle, WA, 98195-1700, USA
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21
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Yang D, Qin W, Shi X, Zhu B, Xie M, Zhao H, Teng B, Wu Y, Zhao R, Yin F, Ren P, Liu L, Li Z. Stabilized β-Hairpin Peptide Inhibits Insulin Degrading Enzyme. J Med Chem 2018; 61:8174-8185. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology & Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
- Department of Science & Technology of Shandong Province, Jinan 250101, Shandong, China
| | - Weirong Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology & Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaodong Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology & Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - Bili Zhu
- School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - Mingsheng Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology & Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology & Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - Bin Teng
- Center for Translational Medicine Research and Development, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
- Shenzhen College of Advanced Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - Yujie Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology & Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - Rongtong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology & Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - Feng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology & Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - Peigen Ren
- Center for Translational Medicine Research and Development, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
- Shenzhen College of Advanced Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - Lizhong Liu
- School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - Zigang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology & Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
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22
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Bhosle GS, Kharche S, Kumar S, Sengupta D, Maiti S, Fernandes M. Superior HIV-1 TAR Binders with Conformationally Constrained R52 Arginine Mimics in the Tat(48-57) Peptide. ChemMedChem 2018; 13:220-226. [PMID: 29314706 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201700653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
We report a 100-fold increase in binding affinity of the Tat(48-57) peptide to HIV-1 transcriptional activator-responsive element (TAR) RNA by replacing Arg52, an essential and critical residue for Tat's specific binding, with (2S,4S)-4-guanidinoproline. The resulting αTat1M peptide is a far superior binder than γTat1M, a peptide containing another conformationally constrained arginine mimic, (2S,4S)-4-amino-N-(3-guanidinopropyl)proline, or even the control Tat peptide (CtrlTat) itself. Our observations are supported by circular dichroism (CD), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), gel electrophoresis and UV spectroscopy studies. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest increased interactions between the more compact αTat1M and TAR RNA, relative to CtrlTat. The CD signature of the RNA itself remains largely unchanged upon binding of the peptides. The Tat mimetics further have better cell uptake properties than the control Tat peptide, thus increasing their potential application as specific TAR-binding molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Govind S Bhosle
- Organic Chemistry Division, CSIR - National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-NCL Campus, Pune, India
| | - Shalmali Kharche
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR - National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-NCL Campus, Pune, India
| | - Santosh Kumar
- Structural Biology Unit, CSIR - Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi, India
| | - Durba Sengupta
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR - National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-NCL Campus, Pune, India
| | - Souvik Maiti
- Structural Biology Unit, CSIR - Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-IGIB Campus, Delhi, India
| | - Moneesha Fernandes
- Organic Chemistry Division, CSIR - National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-NCL Campus, Pune, India
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23
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Roux A, Isaac M, Chabert V, Denisov SA, McClenaghan ND, Sénèque O. Influence of amino acid sequence in a peptidic Cu+-responsive luminescent probe inspired by the copper chaperone CusF. Org Biomol Chem 2018; 16:5626-5634. [DOI: 10.1039/c8ob01044g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Amino acid sequence influences the luminescence behavior of a family of bio-inspired Cu+-responsive probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Roux
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes
- CNRS
- CEA
- BIG
- LCBM (UMR 5249)
| | - M. Isaac
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes
- CNRS
- CEA
- BIG
- LCBM (UMR 5249)
| | - V. Chabert
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes
- CNRS
- CEA
- BIG
- LCBM (UMR 5249)
| | | | | | - O. Sénèque
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes
- CNRS
- CEA
- BIG
- LCBM (UMR 5249)
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24
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Kabza AM, Sczepanski JT. An l-RNA Aptamer with Expanded Chemical Functionality that Inhibits MicroRNA Biogenesis. Chembiochem 2017; 18:1824-1827. [PMID: 28696509 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201700362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
To facilitate isolation of l-aptamers with novel RNA-binding properties, we employed a cationic nucleotide, 5-aminoallyluridine, during the mirror image in vitro selection process. Through this effort, we identified a modified l-RNA aptamer (MlRA) capable of binding oncogenic precursor microRNA 19a (pre-miR-19a) with exceptional affinity, and we showed that cationic modification is absolutely critical for binding. Furthermore, formation of the MlRA-pre-miR-19a complex inhibited Dicer-mediated cleavage of the pre-miR, thus blocking formation of the mature functional microRNA. The MlRA reported here not only represents the first l-aptamer to be evolved by using modified nucleotides but also the first modified aptamer (of any type) to be selected against a structured RNA target. Our results demonstrate that functionalized l-aptamers, which are intrinsically nuclease-resistant, provide an attractive approach for developing robust RNA-binding reagents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Kabza
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
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25
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Shortridge MD, Walker MJ, Pavelitz T, Chen Y, Yang W, Varani G. A Macrocyclic Peptide Ligand Binds the Oncogenic MicroRNA-21 Precursor and Suppresses Dicer Processing. ACS Chem Biol 2017; 12:1611-1620. [PMID: 28437065 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) help orchestrate cellular growth and survival through post-transcriptional mechanisms. The dysregulation of miRNA biogenesis can lead to cellular growth defects and chemotherapeutic resistance and plays a direct role in the development of many chronic diseases. Among these RNAs, miR-21 is consistently overexpressed in most human cancers, leading to the down-regulation of key tumor-suppressing and pro-apoptotic factors, suggesting that inhibition of miR-21 biogenesis could reverse these negative effects. However, targeted inhibition of miR-21 using small molecules has had limited success. To overcome difficulties in targeting RNA secondary structure with small molecules, we developed a class of cyclic β-hairpin peptidomimetics which bind to RNA stem-loop structures, such as miRNA precursors, with potent affinity and specificity. We screened an existing cyclic peptide library and discovered a lead structure which binds to pre-miR21 with KD = 200 nM and prefers it over other pre-miRNAs. The NMR structure of the complex shows that the peptide recognizes the Dicer cleavage site and alters processing of the precursor to the mature miRNA in vitro and in cultured cells. The structure provides a rationale for the peptide binding activity and clear guidance for further improvements in affinity and targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. Shortridge
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Box
351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Matthew J. Walker
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Box
351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Tom Pavelitz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Box
351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Box
351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Wen Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Box
351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Gabriele Varani
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Box
351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
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26
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Peddi SR, Sivan SK, Manga V. Molecular dynamics and MM/GBSA-integrated protocol probing the correlation between biological activities and binding free energies of HIV-1 TAR RNA inhibitors. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2017; 36:486-503. [PMID: 28081678 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2017.1281762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The interaction of HIV-1 transactivator protein Tat with its cognate transactivation response (TAR) RNA has emerged as a promising target for developing antiviral compounds and treating HIV infection, since it is a crucial step for efficient transcription and replication. In the present study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and MM/GBSA calculations have been performed on a series of neamine derivatives in order to estimate appropriate MD simulation time for acceptable correlation between ΔGbind and experimental pIC50 values. Initially, all inhibitors were docked into the active site of HIV-1 TAR RNA. Later to explore various conformations and examine the docking results, MD simulations were carried out. Finally, binding free energies were calculated using MM/GBSA method and were correlated with experimental pIC50 values at different time scales (0-1 to 0-10 ns). From this study, it is clear that in case of neamine derivatives as simulation time increased the correlation between binding free energy and experimental pIC50 values increased correspondingly. Therefore, the binding energies which can be interpreted at longer simulation times can be used to predict the bioactivity of new neamine derivatives. Moreover, in this work, we have identified some plausible critical nucleotide interactions with neamine derivatives that are responsible for potent inhibitory activity. Furthermore, we also provide some insights into a new class of oxadiazole-based back bone cyclic peptides designed by incorporating the structural features of neamine derivatives. On the whole, this approach can provide a valuable guidance for designing new potent inhibitors and modify the existing compounds targeting HIV-1 TAR RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saikiran Reddy Peddi
- a Molecular Modeling and Medicinal Chemistry Group, Department of Chemistry , University College of Science, Osmania University , Hyderabad 500 007 , Telangana , India
| | - Sree Kanth Sivan
- b Department of Chemistry , Nizam College, Osmania University , Hyderabad 500 001 , Telangana , India
| | - Vijjulatha Manga
- a Molecular Modeling and Medicinal Chemistry Group, Department of Chemistry , University College of Science, Osmania University , Hyderabad 500 007 , Telangana , India
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27
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Liu MC, Chen CY, Chiang CH, Wang WM, Cheng RP. Effect of lysine methylation and acetylation on the RNA recognition and cellular uptake of Tat-derived peptides. Bioorg Med Chem 2016; 24:5047-5051. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2016.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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28
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Zhao B, Yang D, Wong JH, Wang J, Yin C, Zhu Y, Fan S, Ng TB, Xia J, Li Z. A Thioether-Stabilizedd-Proline-l-Proline-Induced β-Hairpin Peptide of Defensin Segment Increases Its Anti-Candida albicansAbility. Chembiochem 2016; 17:1416-20. [DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201600179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bingchuan Zhao
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology; Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University; Shenzhen 518055 China
| | - Dan Yang
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology; Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University; Shenzhen 518055 China
| | - Jack Ho Wong
- School of Biomedical Sciences; Faculty of Medicine; The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Shatin Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Jianpeng Wang
- Department of Chemistry; The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Shatin Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Cuiming Yin
- School of Biomedical Sciences; Faculty of Medicine; The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Shatin Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Yuxia Zhu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Peking University Shenzhen Hospital; Shenzhen 518036 China
| | - Shangrong Fan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Peking University Shenzhen Hospital; Shenzhen 518036 China
| | - Tzi Bun Ng
- School of Biomedical Sciences; Faculty of Medicine; The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Shatin Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Jiang Xia
- Department of Chemistry; The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Shatin Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Zigang Li
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology; Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University; Shenzhen 518055 China
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29
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Le Douce V, Ait-Amar A, Forouzan Far F, Fahmi F, Quiel J, El Mekdad H, Daouad F, Marban C, Rohr O, Schwartz C. Improving combination antiretroviral therapy by targeting HIV-1 gene transcription. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2016; 20:1311-1324. [PMID: 27266557 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2016.1198777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Combination Antiretroviral Therapy (cART) has not allowed the cure of HIV. The main obstacle to HIV eradication is the existence of quiescent reservoirs. Several other limitations of cART have been described, such as strict life-long treatment and high costs, restricting it to Western countries, as well as the development of multidrug resistance. Given these limitations and the impetus to find a cure, the development of new treatments is necessary. Areas covered: In this review, we discuss the current status of several efficient molecules able to suppress HIV gene transcription, including NF-kB and Tat inhibitors. We also assess the potential of new proteins belonging to the intriguing DING family, which have been reported to have potential anti-HIV-1 activity by inhibiting HIV gene transcription. Expert opinion: Targeting HIV-1 gene transcription is an alternative approach, which could overcome cART-related issues, such as the emergence of multidrug resistance. Improving cART will rely on the identification and characterization of new actors inhibiting HIV-1 transcription. Combining such efforts with the use of new technologies, the development of new models for preclinical studies, and improvement in drug delivery will considerably reduce drug toxicity and thus increase patient adherence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Le Douce
- a Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologie Tropicale, EA7292 , Université de Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France.,b IUT de Schiltigheim , Schiltigheim , France.,c UCD Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID) School of Medicine and Medical Science , University College Dublin , Dublin 4 , Ireland
| | - Amina Ait-Amar
- a Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologie Tropicale, EA7292 , Université de Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France
| | - Faezeh Forouzan Far
- a Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologie Tropicale, EA7292 , Université de Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France
| | - Faiza Fahmi
- a Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologie Tropicale, EA7292 , Université de Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France
| | - Jose Quiel
- a Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologie Tropicale, EA7292 , Université de Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France
| | - Hala El Mekdad
- a Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologie Tropicale, EA7292 , Université de Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France
| | - Fadoua Daouad
- a Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologie Tropicale, EA7292 , Université de Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France
| | - Céline Marban
- d Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire , Inserm UMR 1121 , Strasbourg , France
| | - Olivier Rohr
- a Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologie Tropicale, EA7292 , Université de Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France.,b IUT de Schiltigheim , Schiltigheim , France.,e Institut Universitaire de France , Paris , France
| | - Christian Schwartz
- a Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologie Tropicale, EA7292 , Université de Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France.,b IUT de Schiltigheim , Schiltigheim , France
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30
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Penas C, Mascareñas JL, Vázquez ME. Coupling the folding of a β-hairpin with chelation-enhanced luminescence of Tb(III) and Eu(III) ions for specific sensing of a viral RNA. Chem Sci 2016; 2016:2674-2678. [PMID: 27293537 PMCID: PMC4898589 DOI: 10.1039/c5sc04501k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Rational modification of a natural RNA-binding peptide with a lanthanide EDTA chelator, and a phenanthroline ligand yields a highly selective luminescent sensor. The sensing mechanism relies on the RNA-triggered folding of the peptide into a β-hairpin, which promotes the coordination of the phenanthroline sensitizer, and the efficient sensitization of complexed lanthanide ions.
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31
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Tala SR, Schnell SM, Haskell-Luevano C. Microwave-assisted solid-phase synthesis of side-chain to side-chain lactam-bridge cyclic peptides. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2015; 25:5708-11. [PMID: 26555357 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.10.095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Side-chain to side-chain lactam-bridged cyclic peptides have been utilized as therapeutic agents and biochemical tools. Previous synthetic methods of these peptides need special reaction conditions, form side products and take longer reaction times. Herein, an efficient microwave-assisted synthesis of side-chain to side-chain lactam-bridge cyclic peptides SHU9119 and MTII is reported. The synthesis time and efforts are significantly reduced in the present method, without side product formation. The analytical and pharmacological data of the synthesized cyclic peptides are in accordance with the commercially obtained compounds. This new method could be used to synthesize other side-chain to side-chain lactam-bridge peptides and amenable to automation and extensive SAR compound derivatization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srinivasa R Tala
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Sathya M Schnell
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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32
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Wu CH, Chen YP, Liu SL, Chien FC, Mou CY, Cheng RP. Attenuating HIV Tat/TAR-mediated protein expression by exploring the side chain length of positively charged residues. Org Biomol Chem 2015; 13:11096-104. [PMID: 26399751 DOI: 10.1039/c5ob01729g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
RNA is a drug target involved in diverse cellular functions and viral processes. Molecules that inhibit the HIV TAR RNA-Tat protein interaction may attenuate Tat/TAR-dependent protein expression and potentially serve as anti-HIV therapeutics. By incorporating positively charged residues with mixed side chain lengths, we designed peptides that bind TAR RNA with enhanced intracellular activity. Tat-derived peptides that were individually substituted with positively charged residues with varying side chain lengths were evaluated for TAR RNA binding. Positively charged residues with different side chain lengths were incorporated at each Arg and Lys position in the Tat-derived peptide to enhance TAR RNA binding. The resulting peptides showed enhanced TAR RNA binding affinity, cellular uptake, nuclear localization, proteolytic resistance, and inhibition of intracellular Tat/TAR-dependent protein expression compared to the parent Tat-derived peptide with no cytotoxicity. Apparently, the enhanced inhibition of protein expression by these peptides was not determined by RNA binding affinity, but by proteolytic resistance. Despite the high TAR binding affinity, a higher binding specificity would be necessary for practical purposes. Importantly, altering the positively charged residue side chain length should be a viable strategy to generate potentially useful RNA-targeting bioactive molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Hsun Wu
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
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33
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Pelay-Gimeno M, Glas A, Koch O, Grossmann TN. Structure-Based Design of Inhibitors of Protein-Protein Interactions: Mimicking Peptide Binding Epitopes. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015; 54:8896-927. [PMID: 26119925 PMCID: PMC4557054 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201412070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 496] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are involved at all levels of cellular organization, thus making the development of PPI inhibitors extremely valuable. The identification of selective inhibitors is challenging because of the shallow and extended nature of PPI interfaces. Inhibitors can be obtained by mimicking peptide binding epitopes in their bioactive conformation. For this purpose, several strategies have been evolved to enable a projection of side chain functionalities in analogy to peptide secondary structures, thereby yielding molecules that are generally referred to as peptidomimetics. Herein, we introduce a new classification of peptidomimetics (classes A-D) that enables a clear assignment of available approaches. Based on this classification, the Review summarizes strategies that have been applied for the structure-based design of PPI inhibitors through stabilizing or mimicking turns, β-sheets, and helices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Pelay-Gimeno
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck SocietyOtto-Hahn-Strasse 15, 44227 Dortmund (Germany) E-mail:
| | - Adrian Glas
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck SocietyOtto-Hahn-Strasse 15, 44227 Dortmund (Germany) E-mail:
| | - Oliver Koch
- TU Dortmund University, Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyOtto-Hahn-Strasse 6, 44227 Dortmund (Germany)
| | - Tom N Grossmann
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck SocietyOtto-Hahn-Strasse 15, 44227 Dortmund (Germany) E-mail:
- TU Dortmund University, Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyOtto-Hahn-Strasse 6, 44227 Dortmund (Germany)
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34
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Pelay-Gimeno M, Glas A, Koch O, Grossmann TN. Strukturbasierte Entwicklung von Protein-Protein-Interaktionsinhibitoren: Stabilisierung und Nachahmung von Peptidliganden. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201412070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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35
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Lu J, Nguyen L, Zhao L, Xia T, Qi X. A Cyclic Mimic of HIV Tat Differentiates Similar TAR RNAs on the Basis of Distinct Dynamic Behaviors. Biochemistry 2015; 54:3687-93. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.5b00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jia Lu
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Larry Nguyen
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Liang Zhao
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Tianbing Xia
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Xin Qi
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
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36
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Li JH, Chiu WC, Yao YC, Cheng RP. Effect of arginine methylation on the RNA recognition and cellular uptake of Tat-derived peptides. Bioorg Med Chem 2015; 23:2281-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2015.01.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2014] [Revised: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 01/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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37
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Bhat P, Shwetha S, Sharma DK, Joseph AP, Srinivasan N, Das S. The beta hairpin structure within ribosomal protein S5 mediates interplay between domains II and IV and regulates HCV IRES function. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:2888-901. [PMID: 25712089 PMCID: PMC4357715 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Translation initiation in Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is mediated by Internal Ribosome Entry Site (IRES), which is independent of cap-structure and uses a limited number of canonical initiation factors. During translation initiation IRES–40S complex formation depends on high affinity interaction of IRES with ribosomal proteins. Earlier, it has been shown that ribosomal protein S5 (RPS5) interacts with HCV IRES. Here, we have extensively characterized the HCV IRES–RPS5 interaction and demonstrated its role in IRES function. Computational modelling and RNA–protein interaction studies demonstrated that the beta hairpin structure within RPS5 is critically required for the binding with domains II and IV. Mutations disrupting IRES–RPS5 interaction drastically reduced the 80S complex formation and the corresponding IRES activity. Computational analysis and UV cross-linking experiments using various IRES-mutants revealed interplay between domains II and IV mediated by RPS5. In addition, present study demonstrated that RPS5 interaction is unique to HCV IRES and is not involved in 40S–3′ UTR interaction. Further, partial silencing of RPS5 resulted in preferential inhibition of HCV RNA translation. However, global translation was marginally affected by partial silencing of RPS5. Taken together, results provide novel molecular insights into IRES–RPS5 interaction and unravel its functional significance in mediating internal initiation of translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasanna Bhat
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Shivaprasad Shwetha
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Divya Khandige Sharma
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | | | | | - Saumitra Das
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
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38
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Blond A, Ennifar E, Tisné C, Micouin L. The design of RNA binders: targeting the HIV replication cycle as a case study. ChemMedChem 2014; 9:1982-96. [PMID: 25100137 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201402259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) replication cycle is finely tuned with many important steps involving RNA-RNA or protein-RNA interactions, all of them being potential targets for the development of new antiviral compounds. This cycle can also be considered as a good benchmark for the evaluation of early-stage strategies aiming at designing drugs that bind to RNA, with the possibility to correlate in vitro activities with antiviral properties. In this review, we highlight different approaches developed to interfere with four important steps of the HIV-1 replication cycle: the early stage of reverse transcription, the transactivation of viral transcription, the nuclear export of partially spliced transcripts and the dimerization step.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Blond
- Laboratoire de Chimie et Biochimie Pharmacologiques et Toxicologiques, UMR 8601, CNRS, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté des Sciences Fondamentales et Biomédicales, 45 Rue des Saints Pères, 75006 Paris (France)
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39
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Effect of each guanidinium group on the RNA recognition and cellular uptake of Tat-derived peptides. Bioorg Med Chem 2014; 22:3016-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2014.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Revised: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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40
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Joo SH. Cyclic peptides as therapeutic agents and biochemical tools. Biomol Ther (Seoul) 2014; 20:19-26. [PMID: 24116270 PMCID: PMC3792197 DOI: 10.4062/biomolther.2012.20.1.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 218] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2011] [Revised: 10/10/2011] [Accepted: 10/28/2011] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
There are many cyclic peptides with diverse biological activities, such as antibacterial activity, immunosuppressive activity, and anti-tumor activity, and so on. Encouraged by natural cyclic peptides with biological activity, efforts have been made to develop cyclic peptides with both genetic and synthetic methods. The genetic methods include phage display, intein-based cyclic peptides, and mRNA display. The synthetic methods involve individual synthesis, parallel synthesis, as well as split-and-pool synthesis. Recent development of cyclic peptide library based on split-and-pool synthesis allows on-bead screening, in-solution screening, and microarray screening of cyclic peptides for biological activity. Cyclic peptides will be useful as receptor agonist/antagonist, RNA binding molecule, enzyme inhibitor and so on, and more cyclic peptides will emerge as therapeutic agents and biochemical tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Hoon Joo
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, College of Pharmacy, Catholic University of Daegu, Gyeongsan 712-702, Republic of Korea
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41
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Joly JP, Mata G, Eldin P, Briant L, Fontaine-Vive F, Duca M, Benhida R. Artificial Nucleobase-Amino Acid Conjugates: A New Class of TAR RNA Binding Agents. Chemistry 2014; 20:2071-9. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201303664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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42
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β-Hairpin protein epitope mimetic technology in drug discovery. DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY. TECHNOLOGIES 2013; 9:e1-e70. [PMID: 24064246 DOI: 10.1016/j.ddtec.2011.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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43
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Spencer R, Chen KH, Manuel G, Nowick JS. Recipe for β-Sheets: Foldamers Containing Amyloidogenic Peptide Sequences. European J Org Chem 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.201300221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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44
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Jacques A, Mettra B, Lebrun V, Latour JM, Sénèque O. On the design of zinc-finger models with cyclic peptides bearing a linear tail. Chemistry 2013; 19:3921-31. [PMID: 23436718 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201204167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic peptides with a linear tail (CPLT) have been successfully used to model two zinc fingers (ZFs) adopting the treble-clef- and loosened zinc-ribbon folds. In this article, we examine the factors that may influence the design of such ZF models: mutations in the sequence, size of the cycle, and size of the tail. For this purpose, several peptides derived from the CPLT-based models of the treble-clef- and loosened zinc-ribbon ZF were synthesized and studied. CPLT-based models appear to be robust toward mutations, accommodate various cycle sizes, and are sensible to the size of the linking region of the tail located between the cycle and the coordinating amino acids. Based on these criteria, we describe the design of a new CPLT-based model for the zinc-ribbon ZFs, LZR , and compare it to a linear analogue, LZR(lin) . The model complex Zn⋅LZR is able to fold correctly around the metal ion contrary to Zn⋅LZR(lin) , suggesting that CPLT-based models are more likely to yield structurally meaningful models of ZF sites than linear peptide models. Finally, we draw some rules that could allow the design of new CPLT-based metallopeptides with a controlled fold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Jacques
- Laboratoire de Chimie et Biologie des Métaux, Equipe de Physicochimie des Métaux en Biologie, UMR 5249 CNRS/CEA-DSV-iRTSV/, Université Joseph Fourier, 17 rue des Martyrs, Grenoble 38054, France
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45
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Li CH, Zuo ZC, Su JG, Xu XJ, Wang CX. The interactions and recognition of cyclic peptide mimetics of Tat with HIV-1 TAR RNA: a molecular dynamics simulation study. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2012; 31:276-87. [PMID: 22943434 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2012.698248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The interaction of HIV-1 trans-activator protein Tat with its cognate trans-activation response element (TAR) RNA is critical for viral transcription and replication. Therefore, it has long been considered as an attractive target for the development of antiviral compounds. Recently, the conformationally constrained cyclic peptide mimetics of Tat have been tested to be a promising family of lead peptides. Here, we focused on two representative cyclic peptides termed as L-22 and KP-Z-41, both of which exhibit excellent inhibitory potency against Tat and TAR interaction. By means of molecular dynamics simulations, we obtained a detailed picture of the interactions between them and HIV-1 TAR RNA. In results, it is found that the binding modes of the two cyclic peptides to TAR RNA are almost identical at or near the bulge regions, whereas the binding interfaces at the apical loop exhibit large conformational heterogeneity. In addition, it is revealed that electrostatic interaction energy contributes much more to KP-Z-41 complex formation than to L-22 complex, which is the main source of energy that results in a higher binding affinity of KP-Z-41 over-22 for TAR RNA. Furthermore, we identified a conserved motif RRK (Arg-Arg-Lys) that is shown to be essential for specific binding of this class of cyclic peptides to TAR RNA. This work can provide a useful insight into the design and modification of cyclic peptide inhibitors targeting the association of HIV-1 Tat and TAR RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Hua Li
- College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Pingleyuan 100, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100124, China.
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46
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Moumné R, Catala M, Larue V, Micouin L, Tisné C. Fragment-based design of small RNA binders: Promising developments and contribution of NMR. Biochimie 2012; 94:1607-19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2012.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2011] [Accepted: 02/01/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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47
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Niu Y, Jones AJ, Wu H, Varani G, Cai J. γ-AApeptides bind to RNA by mimicking RNA-binding proteins. Org Biomol Chem 2011; 9:6604-9. [PMID: 21826330 DOI: 10.1039/c1ob05738c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The interactions between proteins and RNAs are of vital importance for many cellular processes, including transcription and processing of RNA, translation, and viral infections. Here we report an γ-AApeptide that can mimic HIV-1 Tat protein and bind to TAR RNAs of HIV and BIV with nanomolar affinity, comparable to that of the RNA-binding fragment of Tat (amino acids 49-58). The interaction is resistant to the presence of a large excess of tRNA. With resistance to proteolytic hydrolysis and limitless potential for diversification, γ-AApeptides may emerge as a new class of peptidomimetics to modulate RNA-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youhong Niu
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL 33620, USA
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48
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Lalonde MS, Lobritz MA, Ratcliff A, Chamanian M, Athanassiou Z, Tyagi M, Wong J, Robinson JA, Karn J, Varani G, Arts EJ. Inhibition of both HIV-1 reverse transcription and gene expression by a cyclic peptide that binds the Tat-transactivating response element (TAR) RNA. PLoS Pathog 2011; 7:e1002038. [PMID: 21625572 PMCID: PMC3098202 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2010] [Accepted: 03/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The RNA response element TAR plays a critical role in HIV replication by
providing a binding site for the recruitment of the viral transactivator protein
Tat. Using a structure-guided approach, we have developed a series of
conformationally-constrained cyclic peptides that act as structural mimics of
the Tat RNA binding region and block Tat-TAR interactions at nanomolar
concentrations in vitro. Here we show that these compounds
block Tat-dependent transcription in cell-free systems and in cell-based
reporter assays. The compounds are also cell permeable, have low toxicity, and
inhibit replication of diverse HIV-1 strains, including both CXCR4-tropic and
CCR5-tropic primary HIV-1 isolates of the divergent subtypes A, B, C, D and
CRF01_AE. In human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, the cyclic peptidomimetic
L50 exhibited an IC50 ∼250 nM. Surprisingly, inhibition of
LTR-driven HIV-1 transcription could not account for the full antiviral
activity. Timed drug-addition experiments revealed that L-50 has a bi-phasic
inhibition curve with the first phase occurring after HIV-1 entry into the host
cell and during the initiation of HIV-1 reverse transcription. The second phase
coincides with inhibition of HIV-1 transcription. Reconstituted reverse
transcription assays confirm that HIV-1 (−) strand strong stop DNA
synthesis is blocked by L50-TAR RNA interactions in-vitro.
These findings are consistent with genetic evidence that TAR plays critical
roles both during reverse transcription and during HIV gene expression. Our
results suggest that antiviral drugs targeting TAR RNA might be highly effective
due to a dual inhibitory mechanism. The HIV-1 transactivator protein (Tat), together with the elongation factor
P-TEFb binds to an HIV-1 RNA secondary structure in the 5′-UTRs of nascent
viral mRNAs (TAR) and promotes transcription elongation. This process has been
an attractive target for drug development but previous inhibitors that bind
either Tat or TAR have been plagued by poor inhibition of virus replication,
limited cell penetration, and off-target effects. In this article, we describe a
series of rationally designed cyclic peptides that block Tat-TAR interactions.
L50, the most potent of these compounds, inhibits a wide range of HIV-1 strains
from around the world. Remarkably, L50 inhibits two distinct steps in the HIV-1
lifecycle. As expected, L50 inhibits Tat-dependent HIV-1 transcription, but the
majority of its anti-HIV activity is due to a block in reverse transcription,
i.e. synthesis of the proviral DNA from the RNA genome. L50 inhibition of
reverse transcription reveals an important role for TAR RNA during reverse
transcription as well as providing one of first examples of a drug with a dual
mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Lalonde
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western
Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Michael A. Lobritz
- Department of Molecular Biology and
Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of
America
| | - Annette Ratcliff
- Department of Molecular Biology and
Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of
America
| | - Mastooreh Chamanian
- Department of Molecular Biology and
Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of
America
| | - Zafiria Athanassiou
- Department of Chemistry and Department of
Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of
America
| | - Mudit Tyagi
- Department of Molecular Biology and
Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of
America
| | - Julian Wong
- Department of Molecular Biology and
Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of
America
| | - John A. Robinson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich,
Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan Karn
- Department of Molecular Biology and
Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of
America
| | - Gabriele Varani
- Department of Chemistry and Department of
Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of
America
| | - Eric J. Arts
- Department of Molecular Biology and
Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of
America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of
Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of
America
- * E-mail:
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49
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Davidson A, Patora-Komisarska K, Robinson JA, Varani G. Essential structural requirements for specific recognition of HIV TAR RNA by peptide mimetics of Tat protein. Nucleic Acids Res 2010; 39:248-56. [PMID: 20724442 PMCID: PMC3017588 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkq713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The pharmacological disruption of the interaction between the HIV Tat protein and its cognate transactivation response RNA (TAR) would generate novel anti-viral drugs with a low susceptibility to drug resistance, but efforts to discover ligands with sufficient potency to warrant pharmaceutical development have been unsuccessful. We have previously described a family of structurally constrained β-hairpin peptides that potently inhibits viral growth in HIV-infected cells. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structure of an inhibitory complex revealed that the peptide makes intimate contacts with the 3-nt bulge and the upper helix of the RNA hairpin, but that a single residue contacts the apical loop where recruitment of the essential cellular co-factor cyclin T1 occurs. Attempting to extend the peptide to form more interactions with the RNA loop, we examined a library of longer peptides and achieved >6-fold improvement in affinity. The structure of TAR bound to one of the extended peptides reveals that the peptide slides down the major groove of the RNA, relative to our design, in order to maintain critical interactions with TAR. These conserved contacts involve three amino acid side chains and identify critical interaction points required for potent and specific binding to TAR RNA. They constitute a template of essential interactions required for inhibition of this RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Davidson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Ferner J, Suhartono M, Breitung S, Jonker HRA, Hennig M, Wöhnert J, Göbel M, Schwalbe H. Structures of HIV TAR RNA-ligand complexes reveal higher binding stoichiometries. Chembiochem 2009; 10:1490-4. [PMID: 19444830 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.200900220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Target TAR by NMR: Tripeptides containing arginines as terminal residues and non-natural amino acids as central residues are good leads for drug design to target the HIV trans-activation response element (TAR). The structural characterization of the RNA-ligand complex by NMR spectroscopy reveals two specific binding sites that are located at bulge residue U23 and around the pyrimidine-stretch U40-C41-U42 directly adjacent to the bulge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Ferner
- Institut für Organische Chemie und Chemische Biologie, Zentrum für Biomolekulare Magnetische Resonanz (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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