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Gimenez LE, Noblin TA, Williams SY, Mullick Bagchi S, Ji RL, Tao YX, Jeppesen CB, Conde-Frieboes KW, Sawyer TK, Grieco P, Cone RD. Demonstration of a Common DPhe 7 to DNal(2') 7 Peptide Ligand Antagonist Switch for Melanocortin-3 and Melanocortin-4 Receptors Identifies the Systematic Mischaracterization of the Pharmacological Properties of Melanocortin Peptides. J Med Chem 2022; 65:5990-6000. [PMID: 35404053 PMCID: PMC9059122 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Melanocortin peptides containing a 3-(2-naphthyl)-d-alanine residue in position 7 (DNal(2')7), reported as melanocortin-3 receptor (MC3R) subtype-specific agonists in two separate publications, were found to lack significant MC3R agonist activity. The cell lines used at the University of Arizona for pharmacological characterization of these peptides, consisting of HEK293 cells stably transfected with human melanocortin receptor subtypes MC1R, MC3R, MC4R, or MC5R, were then obtained and characterized by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). While the MC1R cell line correctly expressed only hMCR1, the three other cell lines were mischaracterized with regard to receptor subtype expression. The demonstration that a 3-(2-naphthyl)-d-alanine residue in position 7, irrespective of the melanocortin peptide template, results primarily in the antagonism of MC3R and MC4R then allowed us to search the published literature for additional errors. The erroneously characterized DNal(2')7-containing peptides date back to 2003; thus, our analysis suggests that systematic mischaracterization of the pharmacological properties of melanocortin peptides occurred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E. Gimenez
- Life
Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States,
| | - Terry A. Noblin
- Life
Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Savannah Y. Williams
- Life
Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | | | - Ren-Lei Ji
- Department
of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849, United States
| | - Ya-Xiong Tao
- Department
of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849, United States
| | | | | | - Tomi K. Sawyer
- Courage
Therapeutics, 64 Homer
Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02459, United States
| | - Paolo Grieco
- #Department of Pharmacy and ∇CIRPEB, Centro Interuniversitario
di Ricerca sui
Peptidi Bioattivi, University of Naples,
Federico II, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Roger D. Cone
- Life
Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States,Department
of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States,
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2
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Ermert P, Moehle K, Obrecht D. Macrocyclic Inhibitors of GPCR's, Integrins and Protein–Protein Interactions. MACROCYCLES IN DRUG DISCOVERY 2014. [DOI: 10.1039/9781782623113-00283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
This chapter summarizes some highlights of macrocyclic drug discovery in the area of GPCRs, integrins, and protein–protein interactions spanning roughly the last 30 years. Several examples demonstrate that incorporation of pharmacophores derived from natural peptide ligands into the context of a constrained macrocycle (“lock of the bioactive conformation”) has proven a powerful approach for the discovery of potent and selective macrocyclic drugs. In addition, it will be shown that macrocycles, due to their semi-rigid nature, can exhibit unique properties that can be beneficially exploited by medicinal chemists. Macrocycles can adapt their conformation during binding to a flexible protein target surface (“induced fit”), and due to their size, can interact with larger protein interfaces (“hot spots”). Also, macrocycles can display favorable ADME properties well beyond the rule of 5 in particular exhibiting favorable cell penetrating properties and oral bioavailability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Ermert
- Polyphor Ltd Hegenheimermattweg 125 CH-4123 Allschwil Switzerland
| | - Kerstin Moehle
- University of Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Daniel Obrecht
- Polyphor Ltd Hegenheimermattweg 125 CH-4123 Allschwil Switzerland
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3
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Lounnas V, Vriend G. AsteriX: A Web Server To Automatically Extract Ligand Coordinates from Figures in PDF Articles. J Chem Inf Model 2012; 52:568-76. [DOI: 10.1021/ci2004303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- V. Lounnas
- CMBI NCMLS Radboud University, Nijmegen Medical
Centre,
Geert Grooteplein 26-28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - G. Vriend
- CMBI NCMLS Radboud University, Nijmegen Medical
Centre,
Geert Grooteplein 26-28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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4
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Cai M, Liu Z, Qu H, Fan H, Zheng Z, Hruby VJ. Utilize conjugated melanotropins for the earlier diagnosis and treatment of melanoma. Eur J Pharmacol 2011; 660:188-93. [PMID: 21315067 PMCID: PMC3095766 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2011.01.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2010] [Revised: 12/22/2010] [Accepted: 01/13/2011] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Peptides serve as effective drugs and contrast agents in the clinic today. However the inherent drawbacks of peptide structures can limit their efficacy as drugs. To overcome this we have been developing new methods to create 'tailor-made' peptides and peptide mimetics with improved pharmacological and physical properties. In this work we introduce novel peptide and small molecule conjugated molecules for earlier diagnosis and treatment of melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minying Cai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Tucson, Arizona 85721 U.S.A
| | - Zhonglin Liu
- Department of Radiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 U.S.A
| | - Hongchang Qu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Tucson, Arizona 85721 U.S.A
| | - Helen Fan
- Department of Radiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 U.S.A
| | - Zhiping Zheng
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Tucson, Arizona 85721 U.S.A
| | - Victor J. Hruby
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Tucson, Arizona 85721 U.S.A
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5
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Hruby VJ, Cai M, Nyberg J, Muthu D. Approaches to the rational design of selective melanocortin receptor antagonists. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2011; 6:543-57. [PMID: 22646078 DOI: 10.1517/17460441.2011.565743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION When establishing the physiological roles of specific receptors in normal and disease states, it is critical to have selective antagonist ligands for each receptor in a receptor system with several subtypes. The melanocortin receptors have five subtypes referred to as the melanocortin 1 receptor, melanocortin 2 receptor, melanocortin 3 receptor, melanocortin 4 receptor and melanocortin 5 receptor, and they are of critical importance for many aspects of human health and disease. AREAS COVERED This article reviews the current efforts to design selective antagonistic ligands for the five human melanocortin receptors summarizing the currently published orthosteric and allosteric antagonists for each of these receptors. EXPERT OPINION Though there has been progress, there are still few drugs available that address the many significant biological activities and diseases that are associated with these receptors, which is possibly due to the lack of receptor selectivity that these designed ligands are currently showing. The authors believe that further studies into the antagonists' 3D conformational and topographical properties in addition to future mutagenesis studies will provide greater insight into these ligands which could play a role in the treatment of various diseases in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor J Hruby
- University of Arizona, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , 1306 E. University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721 , USA
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6
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Mayorov AV, Cai M, Palmer ES, Liu Z, Cain JP, Vagner J, Trivedi D, Hruby VJ. Solid-phase peptide head-to-side chain cyclodimerization: discovery of C(2)-symmetric cyclic lactam hybrid α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH)/agouti-signaling protein (ASIP) analogues with potent activities at the human melanocortin receptors. Peptides 2010; 31:1894-905. [PMID: 20688117 PMCID: PMC3041174 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2010.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2010] [Revised: 06/23/2010] [Accepted: 06/23/2010] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
A novel hybrid melanocortin pharmacophore was designed based on the pharmacophores of the agouti-signaling protein (ASIP), an endogenous melanocortin antagonist, and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), an endogenous melanocortin agonist. The designed hybrid ASIP/MSH pharmacophore was explored in monomeric cyclic, and cyclodimeric templates. The monomeric cyclic disulfide series yielded peptides with hMC3R-selective non-competitive binding affinities. The direct on-resin peptide lactam cyclodimerization yielded nanomolar range (25-120 nM) hMC1R-selective full and partial agonists in the cyclodimeric lactam series which demonstrates an improvement over the previous attempts at hybridization of MSH and agouti protein sequences. The secondary structure-oriented pharmacophore hybridization strategy will prove useful in development of unique allosteric and orthosteric melanocortin receptor modulators. This report also illustrates the utility of peptide cyclodimerization for the development of novel GPCR peptide ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Minying Cai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| | - Erin S. Palmer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| | - Zhihua Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| | - James P. Cain
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| | - Josef Vagner
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| | - Dev Trivedi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| | - Victor J. Hruby
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
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7
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Duchène T, Mihai C, Willem R, Tourwé D. Monitoring the allyl ester deprotection by HR MAS NMR in BAL-solid phase peptide synthesis. J Pept Sci 2010; 16:679-86. [PMID: 20818798 DOI: 10.1002/psc.1278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The backbone amide linker strategy, in which the growing peptide chain is anchored to a solid support via a backbone amide nitrogen, has proven to be successful for the synthesis of cyclic peptides. Optimisation of the reaction conditions for the synthesis of c(Gly-Trp-βAla-Phe) could be accomplished by the help of high resolution magic angle spinning (HR MAS) NMR and the results are presented here. Signal vanishing of HR MAS NMR resonances were encountered and proven to be originated from interchain aggregations of peptide chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Duchène
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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8
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9
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Qu H, Cai M, Mayorov AV, Grieco P, Zingsheim M, Trivedi D, Hruby VJ. Substitution of arginine with proline and proline derivatives in melanocyte-stimulating hormones leads to selectivity for human melanocortin 4 receptor. J Med Chem 2009; 52:3627-35. [PMID: 19473029 DOI: 10.1021/jm801300c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A new series of melanotropin analogues with His or Arg residues in the core pharmacophores of MTII, SHU9119, and Ac-NDP-gamma-MSH-NH(2) replaced by Pro or trans-/cis-4-guanidinyl-Pro derivatives were designed and synthesized to introduce selectivity toward the human melanocortin 4 receptor (hMC4R). Analogues 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 were found to be hMC4R selective. Second messenger studies have demonstrated that analogues 1 and 2 are insurmountable inhibitors of MTII agonist activity at the hMC4R. Molecular modeling studies suggest that the hMC4R selectivity is due to a beta-turn shift induced by the Pro ring that makes the global minimum structures of these analogues resemble the NMR solution structure of the hASIP melanocortin receptor binding motif. Substitution of His in MTII also provided functional selectivity for the hMC3R or the hMC4R. These findings are important for a better understanding of the selectivity mechanism at the hMC3R/hMC4R and the development of therapeutic ligands selectively targeting the hMC4R.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongchang Qu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
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10
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Cai M, Nyberg J, Hruby VJ. Melanotropins as drugs for the treatment of obesity and other feeding disorders: potential and problems. Curr Top Med Chem 2009; 9:554-63. [PMID: 19689365 PMCID: PMC4608742 DOI: 10.2174/156802609788897817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Current biological and pharmacological evidence suggests that the melanocortin 4 and melanocortin 3 receptors which are seven transmembrane G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are involved in various aspects of energy balance and feeding behaviors in animals including humans. The natural endogenous ligands for these receptors are products of the gene pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), and include alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone, gamma-melanocyte stimulating hormone and perhaps other modified products of POMC. Thus well designed agonists and antagonists of these ligands might serve as drugs for the treatment of feeding disorders. However, these melanotropin peptides also can have other biological activities that involve the MC3R and MC4R, and these other biological properties will need to be modulated in ligands that are likely to be useful drugs for feeding disorders. Current progress in these areas with special emphasis on the MC3R will be discussed along with possible new directions that might be fruitful in these important aspects of contemporary biology and medicine.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Anti-Obesity Agents/chemistry
- Anti-Obesity Agents/pharmacology
- Anti-Obesity Agents/therapeutic use
- Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
- Feeding Behavior/drug effects
- Feeding Behavior/physiology
- Humans
- Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones/chemistry
- Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones/pharmacology
- Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones/therapeutic use
- Nutrition Disorders/drug therapy
- Nutrition Disorders/metabolism
- Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 3/agonists
- Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 3/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 3/chemistry
- Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 3/physiology
- Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 4/agonists
- Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 4/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 4/physiology
- Structure-Activity Relationship
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Affiliation(s)
- Minying Cai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Joel Nyberg
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Victor J. Hruby
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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