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Ning S, Sun M, Dong X, Li A, Zeng C, Liu M, Gong Z, Zhao Y. Dynamic geometry design of cyclic peptide architectures for RNA structure. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:27967-27980. [PMID: 37768078 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03384h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Designing inhibitors for RNA is still challenging due to the bottleneck of maintaining the binding interaction of inhibitor-RNA accompanied by subtle RNA flexibility. Thus, the current approach usually needs to screen thousands of candidate inhibitors for binding. Here, we propose a dynamic geometry design approach to enrich the hits with only a tiny pool of designed geometrically compatible scaffold candidates. First, our method uses graph-based tree decomposition to explore the complementarity rigid binding cyclic peptide and design the amino acid side chain length and charge to fit the RNA pocket. Then, we perform an energy-based dynamical network algorithm to optimize the inhibitor-RNA hydrogen bonds. Dynamic geometry-guided design yields successful inhibitors with low micromolar binding affinity scaffolds and experimentally competes with the natural RNA chaperone. The results indicate that the dynamic geometry method yields higher efficiency and accuracy than traditional methods. The strategy could be further optimized to design the length and chirality by adopting nonstandard amino acids and facilitating RNA engineering for biological or medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangbo Ning
- Institute of Biophysics and Department of Physics, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China.
| | - Min Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.
| | - Xu Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.
| | - Anbang Li
- Institute of Biophysics and Department of Physics, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China.
| | - Chen Zeng
- Department of Physics, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Maili Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.
| | - Zhou Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.
| | - Yunjie Zhao
- Institute of Biophysics and Department of Physics, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China.
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2
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Serumula W, Fernandez G, Gonzalez VM, Parboosing R. Anti-HIV Aptamers: Challenges and Prospects. Curr HIV Res 2022; 20:7-19. [PMID: 34503417 DOI: 10.2174/1570162x19666210908114825] [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: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection continues to be a significant health burden in many countries around the world. Current HIV treatment through a combination of different antiretroviral drugs (cART) effectively suppresses viral replication, but drug resistance and crossresistance are significant challenges. This has prompted the search for novel targets and agents, such as nucleic acid aptamers. Nucleic acid aptamers are oligonucleotides that attach to the target sites with high affinity and specificity. This review provides a target-by-target account of research into anti-HIV aptamers and summarises the challenges and prospects of this therapeutic strategy, specifically in the unique context of HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Serumula
- Department of Virology, National Health Laboratory Service, University of KwaZulu-Natal, c/o Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, 5th Floor Laboratory Building, 800 Bellair Road, Mayville, Durban 4091, South Africa
| | - Geronimo Fernandez
- Departamento de Bioquímica-Investigación, Aptus Biotech SL, Avda. Cardenal Herrera Oria, 298-28035 Madrid. Spain
| | - Victor M Gonzalez
- Departamento de Bioquímica-Investigación, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS)-Hospital Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Raveen Parboosing
- Department of Virology, National Health Laboratory Service, University of KwaZulu-Natal, c/o Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, 5th Floor Laboratory Building, 800 Bellair Road, Mayville, Durban 4091, South Africa
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3
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Martinez NJ, Braisted JC, Dranchak PK, Moran JJ, Larson H, Queme B, Pak E, Dutra A, Rai G, Cheng KCC, Svaren J, Inglese J. Genome-Edited Coincidence and PMP22-HiBiT Fusion Reporter Cell Lines Enable an Artifact-Suppressive Quantitative High-Throughput Screening Strategy for PMP22 Gene-Dosage Disorder Drug Discovery. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2021; 4:1422-1436. [PMID: 34423274 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Charcot-Marie-Tooth 1A (CMT1A) is the most common form of hereditary peripheral neuropathies, characterized by genetic duplication of the critical myelin gene Peripheral Myelin Protein 22 (PMP22). PMP22 overexpression results in abnormal Schwann cell differentiation, leading to axonal loss and muscle wasting. Since regulation of PMP22 expression is a major target of therapeutic discovery for CMT1A, we sought to establish unbiased approaches that allow the identification of therapeutic agents for this disease. Using genome editing, we generated a coincidence reporter assay that accurately monitors Pmp22 transcript levels in the S16 rat Schwann cell line, while reducing reporter-based false positives. A quantitative high-throughput screen (qHTS) of 42 577 compounds using this assay revealed diverse novel chemical classes that reduce endogenous Pmp22 transcript levels. Moreover, some of these classes show pharmacological specificity in reducing Pmp22 over another major myelin-associated gene, Mpz (Myelin protein zero). Finally, to investigate whether compound-mediated reduction of Pmp22 transcripts translates to reduced PMP22 protein levels, we edited the S16 genome to generate a reporter assay that expresses a PMP22-HiBiT fusion protein using CRISPR/Cas9. Overall, we present a screening platform that combines genome edited cell lines encoding reporters that monitor transcriptional and post-translational regulation of PMP22 with titration-based screening (e.g., qHTS), which could be efficiently incorporated into drug discovery campaigns for CMT1A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia J Martinez
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - John C Braisted
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Patricia K Dranchak
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - John J Moran
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, United States
| | - Hunter Larson
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Bryan Queme
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Evgenia Pak
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20817, United States
| | - Amalia Dutra
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20817, United States
| | - Ganesha Rai
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Ken Chih-Chien Cheng
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - John Svaren
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, United States
| | - James Inglese
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States.,National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20817, United States
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4
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Chung CH, Allen AG, Atkins A, Link RW, Nonnemacher MR, Dampier W, Wigdahl B. Computational Design of gRNAs Targeting Genetic Variants Across HIV-1 Subtypes for CRISPR-Mediated Antiviral Therapy. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:593077. [PMID: 33768011 PMCID: PMC7985454 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.593077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based HIV-1 genome editing has shown promising outcomes in in vitro and in vivo viral infection models. However, existing HIV-1 sequence variants have been shown to reduce CRISPR-mediated efficiency and induce viral escape. Two metrics, global patient coverage and global subtype coverage, were used to identify guide RNA (gRNA) sequences that account for this viral diversity from the perspectives of cross-patient and cross-subtype gRNA design, respectively. Computational evaluation using these parameters and over 3.6 million possible 20-bp sequences resulted in nine lead gRNAs, two of which were previously published. This analysis revealed the benefit and necessity of considering all sequence variants for gRNA design. Of the other seven identified novel gRNAs, two were of note as they targeted interesting functional regions. One was a gRNA predicted to induce structural disruption in the nucleocapsid binding site (Ψ), which holds the potential to stop HIV-1 replication during the viral genome packaging process. The other was a reverse transcriptase (RT)-targeting gRNA that was predicted to cleave the subdomain responsible for dNTP incorporation. CRISPR-mediated sequence edits were predicted to occur on critical residues where HIV-1 has been shown to develop resistance against antiretroviral therapy (ART), which may provide additional evolutionary pressure at the DNA level. Given these observations, consideration of broad-spectrum gRNAs and cross-subtype diversity for gRNA design is not only required for the development of generalizable CRISPR-based HIV-1 therapy, but also helps identify optimal target sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Han Chung
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Alexander G. Allen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Andrew Atkins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Robert W. Link
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michael R. Nonnemacher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Will Dampier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Brian Wigdahl
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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5
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Li J, Fan YY, Wang M, Duan HL, Zhang J, Dang FQ, Zhang L, Zhang ZQ. A Light-Up Strategy with Aggregation-Induced Emission for Identification of HIV-I RNA-Binding Small Molecules. Anal Chem 2020; 92:13532-13538. [PMID: 32900180 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c03010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Fluorescence methods are important tools to identify RNA-binding small molecules and further employed to study RNA-protein interactions. Most reported fluorescence strategies are based on covalent labeling of ligand or RNA, which can impede the binding between them to some extent, or light-off fluorescent indicator displacement methods, which ask for particular indicators. Herein, a label-free fluorescence strategy based on the light-on aggregation-induced emission (AIE) feature of tetraphenylethene (TPE) derivative to screen RNA-binding small molecules is presented. As a result of electrostatic interaction, the selected peptides can induce self-assembly of the TPE derivative to produce strong fluorescent emission; when the peptides are bound to RNA molecules, the TPE derivative is in the deaggregated form and shows no or minimum fluorescence. Based on the phenomenon, a competitive displacement assay combined with the TPE reporter was employed to characterize selected small molecules for their binding abilities to HIV-I RNAs. This AIE feature enables the fluorescence-off state of the TPE derivative in the presence of RNA-peptide complex to be "lightened up" quickly as the RNA-binding molecule is introduced and the peptide is competitively released. This strategy was carried out to test several small molecule binders, and the results are consistent with previous reports. This report gives an inspiring example of AIE-based fluorescent assay for HIV-I RNA-binding molecule screening, which may further be explored to build a drug screening platform for RNA-protein interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Li
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science of Shaanxi Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
| | - Yao-Yao Fan
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science of Shaanxi Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
| | - Man Wang
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science of Shaanxi Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
| | - Hui-Ling Duan
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science of Shaanxi Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science of Shaanxi Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
| | - Fu-Quan Dang
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science of Shaanxi Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
| | - Liqin Zhang
- Inspiratio Biosciences, Inc., Fremont, California 94538, United States
| | - Zhi-Qi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science of Shaanxi Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
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6
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Boyd PS, Brown JB, Brown JD, Catazaro J, Chaudry I, Ding P, Dong X, Marchant J, O’Hern CT, Singh K, Swanson C, Summers MF, Yasin S. NMR Studies of Retroviral Genome Packaging. Viruses 2020; 12:v12101115. [PMID: 33008123 PMCID: PMC7599994 DOI: 10.3390/v12101115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Nearly all retroviruses selectively package two copies of their unspliced RNA genomes from a cellular milieu that contains a substantial excess of non-viral and spliced viral RNAs. Over the past four decades, combinations of genetic experiments, phylogenetic analyses, nucleotide accessibility mapping, in silico RNA structure predictions, and biophysical experiments were employed to understand how retroviral genomes are selected for packaging. Genetic studies provided early clues regarding the protein and RNA elements required for packaging, and nucleotide accessibility mapping experiments provided insights into the secondary structures of functionally important elements in the genome. Three-dimensional structural determinants of packaging were primarily derived by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. A key advantage of NMR, relative to other methods for determining biomolecular structure (such as X-ray crystallography), is that it is well suited for studies of conformationally dynamic and heterogeneous systems—a hallmark of the retrovirus packaging machinery. Here, we review advances in understanding of the structures, dynamics, and interactions of the proteins and RNA elements involved in retroviral genome selection and packaging that are facilitated by NMR.
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7
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Lan L, Liu J, Xing M, Smith AR, Wang J, Wu X, Appelman C, Li K, Roy A, Gowthaman R, Karanicolas J, Somoza AD, Wang CCC, Miao Y, De Guzman R, Oakley BR, Neufeld KL, Xu L. Identification and Validation of an Aspergillus nidulans Secondary Metabolite Derivative as an Inhibitor of the Musashi-RNA Interaction. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12082221. [PMID: 32784494 PMCID: PMC7463734 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-binding protein Musashi-1 (MSI1) is a key regulator of several stem cell populations. MSI1 is involved in tumor proliferation and maintenance, and it regulates target mRNAs at the translational level. The known mRNA targets of MSI1 include Numb, APC, and P21WAF-1, key regulators of Notch/Wnt signaling and cell cycle progression, respectively. In this study, we aim to identify small molecule inhibitors of MSI1-mRNA interactions, which could block the growth of cancer cells with high levels of MSI1. Using a fluorescence polarization (FP) assay, we screened small molecules from several chemical libraries for those that disrupt the binding of MSI1 to its consensus RNA. One cluster of hit compounds is the derivatives of secondary metabolites from Aspergillus nidulans. One of the top hits, Aza-9, from this cluster was further validated by surface plasmon resonance and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which demonstrated that Aza-9 binds directly to MSI1, and the binding is at the RNA binding pocket. We also show that Aza-9 binds to Musashi-2 (MSI2) as well. To test whether Aza-9 has anti-cancer potential, we used liposomes to facilitate Aza-9 cellular uptake. Aza-9-liposome inhibits proliferation, induces apoptosis and autophagy, and down-regulates Notch and Wnt signaling in colon cancer cell lines. In conclusion, we identified a series of potential lead compounds for inhibiting MSI1/2 function, while establishing a framework for identifying small molecule inhibitors of RNA binding proteins using FP-based screening methodology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Lan
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (L.L.); (J.L.); (A.R.S.); (X.W.); (C.A.); (K.L.); (R.D.G.); (B.R.O.); (K.L.N.)
| | - Jiajun Liu
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (L.L.); (J.L.); (A.R.S.); (X.W.); (C.A.); (K.L.); (R.D.G.); (B.R.O.); (K.L.N.)
| | - Minli Xing
- Bio-NMR Core Facility, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA;
| | - Amber R. Smith
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (L.L.); (J.L.); (A.R.S.); (X.W.); (C.A.); (K.L.); (R.D.G.); (B.R.O.); (K.L.N.)
| | - Jinan Wang
- Center for Computational Biology, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (J.W.); (R.G.); (Y.M.)
| | - Xiaoqing Wu
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (L.L.); (J.L.); (A.R.S.); (X.W.); (C.A.); (K.L.); (R.D.G.); (B.R.O.); (K.L.N.)
| | - Carl Appelman
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (L.L.); (J.L.); (A.R.S.); (X.W.); (C.A.); (K.L.); (R.D.G.); (B.R.O.); (K.L.N.)
| | - Ke Li
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (L.L.); (J.L.); (A.R.S.); (X.W.); (C.A.); (K.L.); (R.D.G.); (B.R.O.); (K.L.N.)
| | - Anuradha Roy
- High Throughput Screening Laboratory, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA;
| | - Ragul Gowthaman
- Center for Computational Biology, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (J.W.); (R.G.); (Y.M.)
| | - John Karanicolas
- Program in Molecular Therapeutics, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA;
| | - Amber D. Somoza
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA; (A.D.S.); (C.C.C.W.)
| | - Clay C. C. Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA; (A.D.S.); (C.C.C.W.)
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA
| | - Yinglong Miao
- Center for Computational Biology, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (J.W.); (R.G.); (Y.M.)
| | - Roberto De Guzman
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (L.L.); (J.L.); (A.R.S.); (X.W.); (C.A.); (K.L.); (R.D.G.); (B.R.O.); (K.L.N.)
| | - Berl R. Oakley
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (L.L.); (J.L.); (A.R.S.); (X.W.); (C.A.); (K.L.); (R.D.G.); (B.R.O.); (K.L.N.)
| | - Kristi L. Neufeld
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (L.L.); (J.L.); (A.R.S.); (X.W.); (C.A.); (K.L.); (R.D.G.); (B.R.O.); (K.L.N.)
- Department of Cancer Biology, the University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Liang Xu
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (L.L.); (J.L.); (A.R.S.); (X.W.); (C.A.); (K.L.); (R.D.G.); (B.R.O.); (K.L.N.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, the University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
- Correspondence:
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8
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Stefanovic B, Manojlovic Z, Vied C, Badger CD, Stefanovic L. Discovery and evaluation of inhibitor of LARP6 as specific antifibrotic compound. Sci Rep 2019; 9:326. [PMID: 30674965 PMCID: PMC6344531 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36841-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrosis is characterized by excessive production of type I collagen. Biosynthesis of type I collagen in fibrosis is augmented by binding of protein LARP6 to the 5' stem-loop structure (5'SL), which is found exclusively in type I collagen mRNAs. A high throughput screen was performed to discover inhibitors of LARP6 binding to 5'SL, as potential antifibrotic drugs. The screen yielded one compound (C9) which was able to dissociate LARP6 from 5' SL RNA in vitro and to inactivate the binding of endogenous LARP6 in cells. Treatment of hepatic stellate cells (liver cells responsible for fibrosis) with nM concentrations of C9 reduced secretion of type I collagen. In precision cut liver slices, as an ex vivo model of hepatic fibrosis, C9 attenuated the profibrotic response at 1 μM. In prophylactic and therapeutic animal models of hepatic fibrosis C9 prevented development of fibrosis or hindered the progression of ongoing fibrosis when administered at 1 mg/kg. Toxicogenetics analysis revealed that only 42 liver genes changed expression after administration of C9 for 4 weeks, suggesting minimal off target effects. Based on these results, C9 represents the first LARP6 inhibitor with significant antifibrotic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branko Stefanovic
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, 1115 West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
| | - Zarko Manojlovic
- Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, 1450 Biggy Street, NRT 4510, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Cynthia Vied
- Translational Science Laboratory, College of Medicine, Florida State University, 1115 West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Crystal-Dawn Badger
- Translational Science Laboratory, College of Medicine, Florida State University, 1115 West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Colorado State University, 401 West Pitkin Street, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA
| | - Lela Stefanovic
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, 1115 West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
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9
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Antibody-Mediated Therapy against HIV/AIDS: Where Are We Standing Now? J Pathog 2018; 2018:8724549. [PMID: 29973995 PMCID: PMC6009031 DOI: 10.1155/2018/8724549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases are on the rise globally. To date, there is still no effective measure to eradicate the causative agent, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is being used in HIV/AIDS management, but it results in long-term medication and has major drawbacks such as multiple side effects, high cost, and increasing the generation rate of escape mutants. In addition, HAART does not control HIV-related complications, and hence more medications and further management are required. With this, other alternatives are urgently needed. In the past, small-molecule inhibitors have shown potent antiviral effects, and some of them are now being evaluated in clinical trials. The challenges in developing these small molecules for clinical use include the off-target effect, poor stability, and low bioavailability. On the other hand, antibody-mediated therapy has emerged as an important therapeutic modality for anti-HIV therapeutics development. Many antiviral antibodies, namely, broad neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) against multiple strains of HIV, have shown promising effects in vitro and in animal studies; further studies are ongoing in clinical trials to evaluate their uses in clinical applications. This short review aims to discuss the current development of therapeutic antibodies against HIV and the challenges in adopting them for clinical use.
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10
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Bala J, Chinnapaiyan S, Dutta RK, Unwalla H. Aptamers in HIV research diagnosis and therapy. RNA Biol 2018; 15:327-337. [PMID: 29431588 PMCID: PMC5927724 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2017.1414131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Aptamers are high affinity single-stranded nucleic acid or protein ligands which exhibit specificity and avidity comparable to, or exceeding that of antibodies and can be generated against most targets. The functionality of aptamers is based on their unique tertiary structure, complexity and their ability to attain unique binding pockets by folding. Aptamers are selected in vitro by a process called Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential enrichment (SELEX). The Kd values for the selected aptamer are often in the picomolar to low nanomolar range. Stable and nontoxic aptamers could be selected for a wide range of ligands including small molecules to large proteins. Aptamers have shown tremendous potential and have found multipurpose application in the field of therapeutic, diagnostic, biosensor and bio-imaging. While their mechanism of action can be similar to that of monoclonal antibodies, aptamers provide additional advantages in terms of production cost, simpler regulatory approval and lower immunogenicity as they are synthesized chemically. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the primary cause of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), which causes significant morbidity and mortality with a significant consequent decrease in the quality of patient's lives. While cART has led to good viral control, people living with HIV now suffer from non-HIV comorbidities due to viral protein expression that cannot be controlled by cART. Hence pathophysiological mechanisms that govern these comorbidities with a focus on therapies that neutralize these HIV effects gained increased attention. Recent advances in HIV/AIDS research have identified several molecular targets and for the development of therapeutic and diagnostic using aptamers against HIV/AIDS. This review presents recent advances in aptamers technology for potential application in HIV diagnostics and therapeutics towards improving the quality of life of people living with HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti Bala
- Department of Immunology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Srinivasan Chinnapaiyan
- Department of Immunology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Rajib Kumar Dutta
- Department of Immunology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Hoshang Unwalla
- Department of Immunology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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11
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Iraci N, Tabarrini O, Santi C, Sancineto L. NCp7: targeting a multitask protein for next-generation anti-HIV drug development part 2. Noncovalent inhibitors and nucleic acid binders. Drug Discov Today 2018; 23:687-695. [PMID: 29326078 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2018.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Nucleocapsid protein 7 (NCp7) represents a viable target not yet reached by the currently available antiretrovirals. It is a small and highly basic protein, which is essential for multiple stages of the viral replicative cycle, with its structure preserved in all viral strains, including clinical isolates. NCp7 can be inhibited covalently, noncovalently and by shielding the nucleic acid (NA) substrates of its chaperone activity. Although covalent NCp7 inhibitors have already been detailed in the first part of this review series, the focus here is based on noncovalent and NA-binder inhibitors and on the analysis of the NCp7 3D structure to deliver fruitful insights for future drug design strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nunzio Iraci
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Salerno, Italy
| | - Oriana Tabarrini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Claudio Santi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Luca Sancineto
- Department of Heterorganic Chemistry, Centre of Molecular and Macromulecular Studies, Lodz, Poland.
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12
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Identification of novel 2-benzoxazolinone derivatives with specific inhibitory activity against the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein. Eur J Med Chem 2017; 145:154-164. [PMID: 29324338 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.12.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In this report, we present a new benzoxazole derivative endowed with inhibitory activity against the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC). NC is a 55-residue basic protein with nucleic acid chaperone properties, which has emerged as a novel and potential pharmacological target against HIV-1. In the pursuit of novel NC-inhibitor chemotypes, we performed virtual screening and in vitro biological evaluation of a large library of chemical entities. We found that compounds sharing a benzoxazolinone moiety displayed putative inhibitory properties, which we further investigated by considering a series of chemical analogues. This approach provided valuable information on the structure-activity relationships of these compounds and, in the process, demonstrated that their anti-NC activity could be finely tuned by the addition of specific substituents to the initial benzoxazolinone scaffold. This study represents the starting point for the possible development of a new class of antiretroviral agents targeting the HIV-1 NC protein.
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13
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Lorenz DA, Vander Roest S, Larsen MJ, Garner AL. Development and Implementation of an HTS-Compatible Assay for the Discovery of Selective Small-Molecule Ligands for Pre-microRNAs. SLAS DISCOVERY 2017; 23:47-54. [PMID: 28686847 DOI: 10.1177/2472555217717944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
microRNAs (miRNAs) are small gene regulatory RNAs, and their expression has been found to be dysregulated in a number of human diseases. To facilitate the discovery of small molecules capable of selectively modulating the activity of a specific miRNA, we have utilized new high-throughput screening technology targeting Dicer-mediated pre-miRNA maturation. Pilot screening of ~50,000 small molecules and ~33,000 natural product extract libraries against pre-miR-21 processing indicated the potential of our assay for this goal, yielding a campaign Z' factor of 0.52 and an average plate signal-to-background (S/B) ratio of 13. Using two-dimensional screening against a second pre-miRNA, pre-let-7d, we evaluated the selectivity of confirmed hits. The results presented demonstrate how high-throughput screening can be used to identify selective small molecules for a target RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Lorenz
- 1 Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Steve Vander Roest
- 3 Center for Chemical Genomics, Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Martha J Larsen
- 3 Center for Chemical Genomics, Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Amanda L Garner
- 1 Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,2 Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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14
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Structure-Based Discovery of Small Molecules Binding to RNA. TOPICS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/7355_2016_29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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15
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Spell SR, Mangrum JB, Peterson EJ, Fabris D, Ptak R, Farrell NP. Au(iii) compounds as HIV nucleocapsid protein (NCp7)-nucleic acid antagonists. Chem Commun (Camb) 2016; 53:91-94. [PMID: 27858001 PMCID: PMC7086404 DOI: 10.1039/c6cc07970a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The HIV nucleocapsid NCp7-SL2 RNA interaction is interrupted in the presence of a formally substitution-inert gold(dien)-nucleobase/N-heterocycle AuN4 compound where the N-heterocycle serves the dual purposes of a template for "non-covalent" molecular recognition of the essential tryptophan of the protein, mimicking the natural reaction and subsequent "fixation" by Au-Cys bond formation providing a chemotype for a new distinct class of nucleocapsid-nucleic acid antagonist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Spell
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284-2006, USA.
| | - John B Mangrum
- The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Erica J Peterson
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284-2006, USA.
| | - Daniele Fabris
- The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Roger Ptak
- Southern Research Institute, 431 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701, USA
| | - Nicholas P Farrell
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284-2006, USA.
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16
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Salim NN, Ganaie SS, Roy A, Jeeva S, Mir MA. Targeting a Novel RNA-Protein Interaction for Therapeutic Intervention of Hantavirus Disease. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:24702-24714. [PMID: 27733686 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.750729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
An evolutionarily conserved sequence at the 5' terminus of hantaviral genomic RNA plays an important role in viral transcription initiation and packaging of the viral genome into viral nucleocapsids. Interaction of viral nucleocapsid protein (N) with this conserved sequence facilitates mRNA translation by a unique N-mediated translation strategy. Whereas this evolutionarily conserved sequence facilitates virus replication with the assistance of N in eukaryotic hosts having multifaceted antiviral defense, we demonstrate its interaction with N presents a novel target for therapeutic intervention of hantavirus disease. Using a high throughput screening approach, we identified three lead inhibitors that bind and induce structural perturbations in N. The inhibitors interrupt N-RNA interaction and abrogate both viral genomic RNA synthesis and N-mediated translation strategy without affecting the canonical translation machinery of the host cell. The inhibitors are well tolerated by cells and inhibit hantavirus replication with the same potency as ribavarin, a commercially available antiviral. We report the identification of a unique chemical scaffold that disrupts a critical RNA-protein interaction in hantaviruses and holds promise for the development of the first anti-hantaviral therapeutic with broad spectrum antiviral activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilshad N Salim
- From the Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160
| | - Safder S Ganaie
- From the Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160
| | - Anuradha Roy
- the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, and
| | - Subbiah Jeeva
- the College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California 91766
| | - Mohammad A Mir
- the College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California 91766.
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17
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Tsotsoros SD, Lutz PB, Daniel AG, Peterson EJ, de Paiva REF, Rivera E, Qu Y, Bayse CA, Farrell NP. Enhancement of the physicochemical properties of [Pt(dien)(nucleobase)] 2+ for HIVNCp7 targeting. Chem Sci 2016; 8:1269-1281. [PMID: 28451269 PMCID: PMC5369524 DOI: 10.1039/c6sc03445d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Physicochemical properties of coordination compounds can be exploited for molecular recognition of biomolecules. The inherent π-π stacking properties of [Pt(chelate)(N-donor)]2+ ([PtN4]) complexes were modulated by systematic variation of the chelate (diethylenetriamine and substituted derivatives) and N-donor (nucleobase or nucleoside) in the formally substitution-inert PtN4 coordination sphere. Approaches to target the HIV nucleocapsid protein HIVNCp7 are summarized building on (i) assessment of stacking interactions with simple tryptophan or tryptophan derivatives to (ii) the tryptophan-containing C-terminal zinc finger and (iii) to the full two-zinc finger peptide and its interactions with RNA and DNA. The xanthosine nucleoside was identified as having significantly enhanced stacking capability over guanosine. Correlation of the LUMO energies of the modified nucleobases with the DFT π-stacking energies shows that frontier orbital energies of the individual monomers can be used as a first estimate of the π-stacking strength to Trp. Cellular accumulation studies showed no significant correlation with lipophilicity of the compounds, but all compounds had very low cytotoxicity suggesting the potential for antiviral selectivity. The conceptual similarities between nucleobase alkylation and platination validates the design of formally substitution-inert coordination complexes as weak Lewis acid electrophiles for selective peptide targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- S D Tsotsoros
- Department of Chemistry , Virginia Commonwealth University , 1001 W. Main Street , Richmond , VA 23284-2006 , USA .
| | - P B Lutz
- Department of Science , Technology and Mathematics , Regent University , Virginia Beach , Virginia 23464 , USA.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , Old Dominion University , Norfolk , VA 23529 , USA .
| | - A G Daniel
- Department of Chemistry , Virginia Commonwealth University , 1001 W. Main Street , Richmond , VA 23284-2006 , USA .
| | - E J Peterson
- Department of Chemistry , Virginia Commonwealth University , 1001 W. Main Street , Richmond , VA 23284-2006 , USA . .,Massey Cancer Center , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , VA , USA
| | - R E F de Paiva
- Department of Chemistry , Virginia Commonwealth University , 1001 W. Main Street , Richmond , VA 23284-2006 , USA .
| | - E Rivera
- Department of Chemistry , Virginia Commonwealth University , 1001 W. Main Street , Richmond , VA 23284-2006 , USA .
| | - Y Qu
- Department of Chemistry , Virginia Commonwealth University , 1001 W. Main Street , Richmond , VA 23284-2006 , USA .
| | - C A Bayse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , Old Dominion University , Norfolk , VA 23529 , USA .
| | - N P Farrell
- Department of Chemistry , Virginia Commonwealth University , 1001 W. Main Street , Richmond , VA 23284-2006 , USA . .,Massey Cancer Center , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , VA , USA
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18
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Abstract
The addition of telomeric DNA to chromosome ends is an essential cellular activity that compensates for the loss of genomic DNA that is due to the inability of the conventional DNA replication apparatus to duplicate the entire chromosome. The telomerase reverse transcriptase and its associated RNA bind to the very end of the telomere via a sequence in the RNA and specific protein-protein interactions. Telomerase RNA also provides the template for addition of new telomeric repeats by the reverse-transcriptase protein subunit. In addition to the template, there are 3 other conserved regions in telomerase RNA that are essential for normal telomerase activity. Here we briefly review the conserved core regions of telomerase RNA and then focus on a recent study in fission yeast that determined the function of another conserved region in telomerase RNA called the Stem Terminus Element (STE). (1) The STE is distant from the templating core of telomerase in both the linear and RNA secondary structure, but, nonetheless, affects the fidelity of telomere sequence addition and, in turn, the ability of telomere binding proteins to bind and protect chromosome ends. We will discuss possible mechanisms of STE action and the suitability of the STE as an anti-cancer target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Webb
- a Department of Molecular Biology , Princeton University , Princeton , NJ , USA
| | - Virginia A Zakian
- a Department of Molecular Biology , Princeton University , Princeton , NJ , USA
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19
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Zhang JA, Zhang LJ, Zou XZ, Liu YJ, Gao W, Li Y. Studies on the bioactivities of 8-mercaptoquinoline sulfide derivatives. INORG CHEM COMMUN 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.inoche.2015.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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20
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Mori M, Kovalenko L, Lyonnais S, Antaki D, Torbett BE, Botta M, Mirambeau G, Mély Y. Nucleocapsid Protein: A Desirable Target for Future Therapies Against HIV-1. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2015; 389:53-92. [PMID: 25749978 PMCID: PMC7122173 DOI: 10.1007/82_2015_433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The currently available anti-HIV-1 therapeutics is highly beneficial to infected patients. However, clinical failures occur as a result of the ability of HIV-1 to rapidly mutate. One approach to overcome drug resistance is to target HIV-1 proteins that are highly conserved among phylogenetically distant viral strains and currently not targeted by available therapies. In this respect, the nucleocapsid (NC) protein, a zinc finger protein, is particularly attractive, as it is highly conserved and plays a central role in virus replication, mainly by interacting with nucleic acids. The compelling rationale for considering NC as a viable drug target is illustrated by the fact that point mutants of this protein lead to noninfectious viruses and by the inability to select viruses resistant to a first generation of anti-NC drugs. In our review, we discuss the most relevant properties and functions of NC, as well as recent developments of small molecules targeting NC. Zinc ejectors show strong antiviral activity, but are endowed with a low therapeutic index due to their lack of specificity, which has resulted in toxicity. Currently, they are mainly being investigated for use as topical microbicides. Greater specificity may be achieved by using non-covalent NC inhibitors (NCIs) targeting the hydrophobic platform at the top of the zinc fingers or key nucleic acid partners of NC. Within the last few years, innovative methodologies have been developed to identify NCIs. Though the antiviral activity of the identified NCIs needs still to be improved, these compounds strongly support the druggability of NC and pave the way for future structure-based design and optimization of efficient NCIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Mori
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, via A. Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
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21
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Le Grice SFJ. Targeting the HIV RNA genome: high-hanging fruit only needs a longer ladder. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2015; 389:147-69. [PMID: 25735922 PMCID: PMC7120518 DOI: 10.1007/82_2015_434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Small molecules targeting the enzymes responsible for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) maturation, DNA synthesis and its subsequent chromosomal integration as ribonucleotide-free double-stranded DNA remain the mainstay of combination antiretroviral therapy. For infected individuals harboring drug-susceptible virus, this approach has afforded complete or near-complete viral suppression. However, in the absence of a curative strategy, the predictable emergence of drug-resistant variants requires continued development of improved antiviral strategies, inherent to which is the necessity of identifying novel targets. Regulatory elements that mediate transcription, translation, nucleocytoplasmic transport, dimerization, packaging and reverse transcription of the (+) strand RNA genome should now be considered viable targets for small molecule, peptide- and oligonucleotide-based therapeutics. Where target specificity and cellular penetration and toxicity have been the primary obstacle to successful “macromolecule therapeutics”, this chapter summarizes (a) novel approaches targeting RNA motifs whose three-dimensional structure is critical for biological function and consequently may be less prone to resistance-conferring mutations and (b) improved methods for delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart F J Le Grice
- RT Biochemistry Section, Basic Research Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA,
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22
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Artigas G, Marchán V. Synthesis and tau RNA binding evaluation of ametantrone-containing ligands. J Org Chem 2015; 80:2155-64. [PMID: 25602935 DOI: 10.1021/jo502661j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We describe the synthesis and characterization of ametantrone-containing RNA ligands based on the derivatization of this intercalator with two neamine moieties (Amt-Nea,Nea) or with one azaquinolone heterocycle and one neamine (Amt-Nea,Azq) as well as its combination with guanidinoneamine (Amt-NeaG4). Biophysical studies revealed that guanidinylation of the parent ligand (Amt-Nea) had a positive effect on the binding of the resulting compound for Tau pre-mRNA target as well as on the stabilization upon complexation of some of the mutated RNA sequences associated with the development of tauopathies. Further studies by NMR revealed the existence of a preferred binding site in the stem-loop structure, in which ametantrone intercalates in the characteristic bulged region. Regarding doubly-functionalized ligands, binding affinity and stabilizing ability of Amt-Nea,Nea were similar to those of the guanidinylated ligand, but the two aminoglycoside fragments seem to interfere with its accommodation in a single binding site. However, Amt-Nea,Azq binds at the bulged region in a similar way than Amt-NeaG4. Overall, these results provide new insights on fine-tuning RNA binding properties of ametantrone by single or double derivatization with other RNA recognition motifs, which could help in the future design of new ligands with improved selectivity for disease-causing RNA molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Artigas
- Departament de Química Orgànica and IBUB, Universitat de Barcelona , Martí i Franquès 1-11, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
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23
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Garg D, Torbett BE. Advances in targeting nucleocapsid-nucleic acid interactions in HIV-1 therapy. Virus Res 2014; 193:135-43. [PMID: 25026536 PMCID: PMC4252855 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2014.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Revised: 07/02/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The continuing challenge of HIV-1 treatment resistance in patients creates a need for the development of new antiretroviral inhibitors. The HIV nucleocapsid (NC) protein is a potential therapeutic target. NC is necessary for viral RNA packaging and in the early stages of viral infection. The high level of NC amino acid conservation among all HIV-1 clades suggests a low tolerance for mutations. Thus, NC mutations that could arise during inhibitor treatment to provide resistance may render the virus less fit. Disruption of NC function provides a unique opportunity to strongly dampen replication at multiple points during the viral life cycle with a single inhibitor. Although NC exhibits desirable features for a potential antiviral target, the structural flexibility, size, and the presence of two zinc fingers makes small molecule targeting of NC a challenging task. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in strategies to develop inhibitors of NC function and present a perspective on potential novel approaches that may help to overcome some of the current challenges in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divita Garg
- Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Bruce E Torbett
- Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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24
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Sengupta A, Gavvala K, Koninti RK, Hazra P. Role of Mg²⁺ ions in flavin recognition by RNA aptamer. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY 2014; 140:240-8. [PMID: 25173759 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2014.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Revised: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 08/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The role of Mg(2+) ion in flavin (flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and flavin mononucleotide (FMN)) recognition by RNA aptamer has been explored through steady state and time-resolved fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), thermal melting (TM) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) studies. A strong quenching of flavin emission is detected due to stacking interaction with the nucleobases in the mismatched region of aptamer, and it enhances manifold with increasing Mg(2+) concentrations. A comparatively lower binding affinity toward FAD compared to FMN is attributed to the presence of intramolecular 'stack' conformer of FAD, which cannot participate in the intermolecular stacking interactions with the nucleobases. CD and TM studies predict that flavin detection causes structural reformation of RNA aptamer. ITC results indicate that flavin detection is thermodynamically feasible and highly enthalpy driven.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhigyan Sengupta
- Department of Chemistry, Mendeleev Block, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Pune, Pune 411008, Maharashtra, India
| | - Krishna Gavvala
- Department of Chemistry, Mendeleev Block, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Pune, Pune 411008, Maharashtra, India
| | - Raj Kumar Koninti
- Department of Chemistry, Mendeleev Block, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Pune, Pune 411008, Maharashtra, India
| | - Partha Hazra
- Department of Chemistry, Mendeleev Block, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Pune, Pune 411008, Maharashtra, India.
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25
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Asquith CRM, Meli ML, Konstantinova LS, Laitinen T, Peräkylä M, Poso A, Rakitin OA, Allenspach K, Hofmann-Lehmann R, Hilton ST. Evaluation of the antiviral efficacy of bis[1,2]dithiolo[1,4]thiazines and bis[1,2]dithiolopyrrole derivatives against the nucelocapsid protein of the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) as a model for HIV infection. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2014; 24:2640-4. [PMID: 24813732 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2014.04.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2014] [Revised: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
A diverse library of bis[1,2]dithiolo[1,4]thiazines and bis[1,2]dithiolopyrrole derivatives were prepared for evaluation of activity against the nucleocapsid protein of the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) as a model for HIV, using an in vitro cell culture approach, yielding nanomolar active compounds with low toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R M Asquith
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Life Sciences, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
| | - Marina L Meli
- Clinical Laboratory and Center of Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Lidia S Konstantinova
- Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Tuomo Laitinen
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Mikael Peräkylä
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Antti Poso
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Oleg A Rakitin
- Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Karin Allenspach
- Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield AL9 7TA, United Kingdom
| | - Regina Hofmann-Lehmann
- Clinical Laboratory and Center of Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Stephen T Hilton
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Life Sciences, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom.
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26
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Disney MD, Yildirim I, Childs-Disney JL. Methods to enable the design of bioactive small molecules targeting RNA. Org Biomol Chem 2014; 12:1029-39. [PMID: 24357181 PMCID: PMC4020623 DOI: 10.1039/c3ob42023j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
RNA is an immensely important target for small molecule therapeutics or chemical probes of function. However, methods that identify, annotate, and optimize RNA-small molecule interactions that could enable the design of compounds that modulate RNA function are in their infancies. This review describes recent approaches that have been developed to understand and optimize RNA motif-small molecule interactions, including structure-activity relationships through sequencing (StARTS), quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR), chemical similarity searching, structure-based design and docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Case studies described include the design of small molecules targeting RNA expansions, the bacterial A-site, viral RNAs, and telomerase RNA. These approaches can be combined to afford a synergistic method to exploit the myriad of RNA targets in the transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Disney
- The Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way #3A1, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
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Mitra M, Wang W, Vo MN, Rouzina I, Barany G, Musier-Forsyth K. The N-terminal zinc finger and flanking basic domains represent the minimal region of the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 nucleocapsid protein for targeting chaperone function. Biochemistry 2013; 52:8226-36. [PMID: 24144434 DOI: 10.1021/bi401250a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) nucleocapsid (NC) protein is a chaperone that facilitates nucleic acid conformational changes to produce the most thermodynamically stable arrangement. The critical role of NC in many steps of the viral life cycle makes it an attractive therapeutic target. The chaperone activity of NC depends on its nucleic acid aggregating ability, duplex destabilizing activity, and rapid on-off binding kinetics. During the minus-strand transfer step of reverse transcription, NC chaperones the annealing of highly structured transactivation response region (TAR) RNA to the complementary TAR DNA. In this work, the role of different functional domains of NC in facilitating 59-nucleotide TAR RNA-DNA annealing was probed by using chemically synthesized peptides derived from full-length (55 amino acids) HIV-1 NC: NC(1-14), NC(15-35), NC(1-28), NC(1-35), NC(29-55), NC(36-55), and NC(11-55). Most of these peptides displayed significantly reduced annealing kinetics, even when present at concentrations much higher than that of wild-type (WT) NC. In addition, these truncated NC constructs generally bind more weakly to single-stranded DNA and are less effective nucleic acid aggregating agents than full-length NC, consistent with the loss of both electrostatic and hydrophobic contacts. However, NC(1-35) displayed annealing kinetics, nucleic acid binding, and aggregation activity that were very similar to those of WT NC. Thus, we conclude that the N-terminal zinc finger, flanked by the N-terminus and linker domains, represents the minimal sequence that is necessary and sufficient for chaperone function in vitro. In addition, covalent continuity of the 35 N-terminal amino acids of NC is critical for full activity. Thus, although the hydrophobic pocket formed by residues proximal to the C-terminal zinc finger has been a major focus of recent anti-NC therapeutic strategies, NC(1-35) represents an alternative target for therapeutics aimed at disrupting NC's chaperone function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mithun Mitra
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology, and Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University , Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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