1
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Zhu W, Liu C, Xi K, Li A, Shen LA, Li Y, Jia M, He Y, Chen G, Liu C, Chen Y, Chen K, Sun F, Zhang D, Duan C, Wang H, Wang D, Zhao Y, Meng X, Zhu D. Discovery of Novel 1-Phenylpiperidine Urea-Containing Derivatives Inhibiting β-Catenin/BCL9 Interaction and Exerting Antitumor Efficacy through the Activation of Antigen Presentation of cDC1 Cells. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 38912577 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Aberrant activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling is associated with tumor development, and blocking β-catenin/BCL9 is a novel strategy for oncogenic Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Herein, we presented two novel β-catenin variations and exposed conformational dynamics in several β-catenin crystal structures at the BCL9 binding site. Furthermore, we identified a class of novel urea-containing compounds targeting β-catenin/BCL9 interaction. Notably, the binding modalities of inhibitors were greatly affected by the conformational dynamics of β-catenin. Among them, 28 had a strong affinity for β-catenin (Kd = 82 nM), the most potent inhibitor reported. In addition, 13 and 35 not only activate T cells but also promote the antigen presentation of cDC1, showing robust antitumor efficacy in the CT26 model. Collectively, our study demonstrated a series of potent small-molecule inhibitors targeting β-catenin/BCL9, which can enhance antigen presentation and activate cDC1 cells, delivering a potential strategy for boosting innate and adaptive immunity to overcome immunotherapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhua Zhu
- Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
- Yangtze Delta Drug Advanced Research Institute and Yangtze Delta Pharmaceutical College, Nantong 226133, China
| | - Cuiting Liu
- Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
- Yangtze Delta Drug Advanced Research Institute and Yangtze Delta Pharmaceutical College, Nantong 226133, China
| | - Kang Xi
- Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
- Yangtze Delta Drug Advanced Research Institute and Yangtze Delta Pharmaceutical College, Nantong 226133, China
| | - Anqi Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Li-An Shen
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yana Li
- Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
- Yangtze Delta Drug Advanced Research Institute and Yangtze Delta Pharmaceutical College, Nantong 226133, China
| | - Miaomiao Jia
- Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
- Yangtze Delta Drug Advanced Research Institute and Yangtze Delta Pharmaceutical College, Nantong 226133, China
| | - Yangbo He
- Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
- Yangtze Delta Drug Advanced Research Institute and Yangtze Delta Pharmaceutical College, Nantong 226133, China
| | - Gang Chen
- Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
- Yangtze Delta Drug Advanced Research Institute and Yangtze Delta Pharmaceutical College, Nantong 226133, China
| | - Chenglong Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yangqiang Chen
- Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
- Yangtze Delta Drug Advanced Research Institute and Yangtze Delta Pharmaceutical College, Nantong 226133, China
| | - Kai Chen
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Fan Sun
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Daizhou Zhang
- Shandong Academy of Pharmaceutical Science, Jinan 250101, China
| | - Chonggang Duan
- Shandong Academy of Pharmaceutical Science, Jinan 250101, China
| | - Heng Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | | | - Yujun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Small-Molecule Drug Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd., Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xiangjing Meng
- Shandong Academy of Pharmaceutical Science, Jinan 250101, China
| | - Di Zhu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 201210, China
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2
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Li Y, Wu M, Fu Y, Xue J, Yuan F, Qu T, Rissanou AN, Wang Y, Li X, Hu H. Therapeutic stapled peptides: Efficacy and molecular targets. Pharmacol Res 2024; 203:107137. [PMID: 38522761 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Peptide stapling, by employing a stable, preformed alpha-helical conformation, results in the production of peptides with improved membrane permeability and enhanced proteolytic stability, compared to the original peptides, and provides an effective solution to accelerate the rapid development of peptide drugs. Various reviews present peptide stapling chemistries, anchoring residues and one- or two-component cyclization, however, therapeutic stapled peptides have not been systematically summarized, especially focusing on various disease-related targets. This review highlights the latest advances in therapeutic peptide drug development facilitated by the application of stapling technology, including different stapling techniques, synthetic accessibility, applicability to biological targets, potential for solving biological problems, as well as the current status of development. Stapled peptides as therapeutic drug candidates have been classified and analysed mainly by receptor- and ligand-based stapled peptide design against various diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases, inflammation, and diabetes. This review is expected to provide a comprehensive reference for the rational design of stapled peptides for different diseases and targets to facilitate the development of therapeutic peptides with enhanced pharmacokinetic and biological properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulei Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China.
| | - Minghao Wu
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yinxue Fu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Jingwen Xue
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Fei Yuan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Tianci Qu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Anastassia N Rissanou
- Theoretical & Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635, Greece
| | - Yilin Wang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 131 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiang Li
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Honggang Hu
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, China.
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3
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Gaikwad V, Choudhury AR, Chakrabarti R. Decoding the dynamics of BCL9 triazole stapled peptide. Biophys Chem 2024; 307:107197. [PMID: 38335808 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2024.107197] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
BCL9 is a key protein in Wnt signaling pathway. It acts as a transcriptional co-activator to β-catenin, and dysregulation in this pathway leads to tumor growth. Inhibiting such a protein-protein interaction is considered as a therapeutic challenge. The interaction between β-catenin and BCL9 is facilitated by a 23-residue helical domain from BCL9 and a hydrophobic groove of β-catenin. To prevent this interaction, a peptide that mimics the alpha-helical domain of BCL9 can be designed. Stapling is considered a successful strategy in the pursuit of designing such peptides in which amino acids side are stitched together using chemical moieties. Among the various types of cross-linkers, triazole is the most rapid and effective one synthesized via click reaction. However, the underlying interactions behind maintaining the secondary structure of stapled peptides remain less explored. In the current work, we employed the molecular dynamics simulation to study the conformational behavior of the experimentally synthesized single and double triazole stapled BCL9 peptide. Upon the addition of a triazole staple, there is a significant reduction in the conformational space of BCL9. The helical character of the stapled peptide increases with an increase in separation between the triazole cross-linkers. Also, we encompassed the Replica Exchange with Solute Tempering (REST2) simulation to validate the high-temperature response of the stapled peptide. From REST2, the PCA and t-SNE show the reduction in distinct cluster formation on the addition of triazole staple. Our study infers further development of these triazole-stapled BCL9 peptides into effective inhibitors to target the interaction between β-catenin and BCL9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikram Gaikwad
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Asha Rani Choudhury
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Rajarshi Chakrabarti
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India.
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4
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Li J, Tan YS, Verma CS. Dissecting the geometric and hydrophobic constraints of stapled peptides. Proteins 2024. [PMID: 38196284 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Stapled peptides are a promising class of molecules with potential as highly specific probes of protein-protein interactions and as therapeutics. Hydrocarbon stapling affects the peptide properties through the interplay of two factors: enhancing the overall hydrophobicity and constraining the conformational flexibility. By constructing a series of virtual peptides, we study the role of each factor in modulating the structural properties of a hydrocarbon-stapled peptide PM2, which has been shown to enter cells, engage its target Mouse Double Minute 2 (MDM2), and activate p53. Hamiltonian replica exchange molecular dynamics (HREMD) simulations suggest that hydrocarbon stapling favors helical populations of PM2 through a combination of the geometric constraints and the enhanced hydrophobicity of the peptide. To further understand the conformational landscape of the stapled peptides along the binding pathway, we performed HREMD simulations by restraining the peptide at different distances from MDM2. When the peptide approaches MDM2, the binding pocket undergoes dehydration which appears to be greater in the presence of the stapled peptide compared with the linear peptide. In the binding pocket, the helicity of the stapled peptide is increased due to the favorable interactions between the peptide residues as well as the staple and the microenvironment of the binding pocket, contributing to enhanced affinity. The dissection of the multifaceted mechanism of hydrocarbon stapling into individual factors not only deepens fundamental understanding of peptide stapling, but also provides guidelines for the design of new stapled peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Li
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yaw Sing Tan
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chandra S Verma
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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5
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Yao C, Ye G, Yang Q, Chen Z, Yang M. The Disulfide Bond-Mediated Cyclization of Oral Peptides. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2024; 25:438-442. [PMID: 38934364 DOI: 10.2174/0113892037280719231214095428] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
'Structure determines function' is a consensus in the current biological community, but the structural characteristics corresponding to a certain function have always been a hot field of scientific exploration. A peptide is a bio-active molecule that is between the size of an antibody and a small molecule. Still, the gastrointestinal barrier and the physicochemical properties of peptides have always limited the oral administration of peptides. Therefore, we analyze the main ways oral peptide conversion strategies of peptide modification and permeation enhancers. Based on our analysis of the structure of natural oral peptides, which can be absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, we believe that the design strategy of natural stapled peptides based on disulfide bonds is good for oral peptide design. This cannot only be used to identify anti-gastrointestinal digestive structural proteins in nature but also provide a solid structural foundation for the construction of new oral peptide drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenguang Yao
- Sino-German Biomedical Center, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), National 111 Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
| | - Guoguo Ye
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Immunity, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Division of Infectious Disease, The Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qin Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhenwang Chen
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Minghui Yang
- School of Life Science, Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Sciences; Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
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6
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Ferková S, Froehlich U, Nepveu-Traversy MÉ, Murza A, Azad T, Grandbois M, Sarret P, Lavigne P, Boudreault PL. Comparative Analysis of Cyclization Techniques in Stapled Peptides: Structural Insights into Protein-Protein Interactions in a SARS-CoV-2 Spike RBD/hACE2 Model System. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:166. [PMID: 38203338 PMCID: PMC10778704 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010166] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Medicinal chemistry is constantly searching for new approaches to develop more effective and targeted therapeutic molecules. The design of peptidomimetics is a promising emerging strategy that is aimed at developing peptides that mimic or modulate the biological activity of proteins. Among these, stapled peptides stand out for their unique ability to stabilize highly frequent helical motifs, but they have failed to be systematically reported. Here, we exploit chemically diverse helix-inducing i, i + 4 constraints-lactam, hydrocarbon, triazole, double triazole and thioether-on two distinct short sequences derived from the N-terminal peptidase domain of hACE2 upon structural characterization and in silico alanine scan. Our overall objective was to provide a sequence-independent comparison of α-helix-inducing staples using circular dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We identified a 9-mer lactam stapled peptide derived from the hACE2 sequence (His34-Gln42) capable of reaching its maximal helicity of 55% with antiviral activity in bioreporter- and pseudovirus-based inhibition assays. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first comprehensive investigation comparing several cyclization methods with the goal of generating stapled peptides and correlating their secondary structures with PPI inhibitions using a highly topical model system (i.e., the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 Spike RBD with hACE2).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Pierre-Luc Boudreault
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada; (S.F.); (M.-É.N.-T.); (A.M.); (T.A.)
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7
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Chen B, Liu C, Cong W, Gao F, Zou Y, Su L, Liu L, Hillisch A, Lehmann L, Bierer D, Li X, Hu HG. Cyclobutane-bearing restricted anchoring residues enabled geometry-specific hydrocarbon peptide stapling. Chem Sci 2023; 14:11499-11506. [PMID: 37886087 PMCID: PMC10599482 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc04279k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Stapled peptides are regarded as the promising next-generation therapeutics because of their improved secondary structure, membrane permeability and metabolic stability as compared with the prototype linear peptides. Usually, stapled peptides are obtained by a hydrocarbon stapling technique, anchoring from paired olefin-terminated unnatural amino acids and the consequent ring-closing metathesis (RCM). To investigate the adaptability of the rigid cyclobutane structure in RCM and expand the chemical diversity of hydrocarbon peptide stapling, we herein described the rational design and efficient synthesis of cyclobutane-based conformationally constrained amino acids, termed (E)-1-amino-3-(but-3-en-1-yl)cyclobutane-1-carboxylic acid (E7) and (Z)-1-amino-3-(but-3-en-1-yl)cyclobutane-1-carboxylic acid (Z7). All four combinations including E7-E7, E7-Z7, Z7-Z7 and Z7-E7 were proven to be applicable in RCM-mediated peptide stapling to afford the corresponding geometry-specific stapled peptides. With the aid of the combined quantum and molecular mechanics, the E7-E7 combination was proven to be optimal in both the RCM reaction and helical stabilization. With the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 as the target, a series of cyclobutane-bearing stapled peptides were obtained. Among them, E7-E7 geometry-specific stapled peptides indeed exhibit higher α-helicity and thus stronger biological activity than canonical hydrocarbon stapled peptides. We believe that this methodology possesses great potential to expand the scope of the existing peptide stapling strategy. These cyclobutane-bearing restricted anchoring residues served as effective supplements for the existing olefin-terminated unnatural amino acids and the resultant geometry-specific hydrocarbon peptide stapling provided more potential for peptide therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baobao Chen
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University Shanghai 200444 China
| | - Chao Liu
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University Shanghai 200444 China
| | - Wei Cong
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University Shanghai 200444 China
| | - Fei Gao
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University Shanghai 200444 China
| | - Yan Zou
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University Shanghai 200433 China
| | - Li Su
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University Shanghai 200444 China
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Alexander Hillisch
- Bayer AG, Pharma Division, Drug Discovery Sciences Aprather Weg 18A Wuppertal 42096 Germany
- UCB BioSciences GmbH Alfred-Nobel-Straße 10 40789 Monheim am Rhein Germany
| | - Lutz Lehmann
- Bayer AG, Pharma Division, Drug Discovery Sciences Aprather Weg 18A Wuppertal 42096 Germany
| | - Donald Bierer
- Bayer AG, Pharma Division, Drug Discovery Sciences Aprather Weg 18A Wuppertal 42096 Germany
| | - Xiang Li
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University Shanghai 200433 China
| | - Hong-Gang Hu
- School of Medicine or Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University Shanghai 200444 China
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8
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Lamouroux A, Tournier M, Iaculli D, Caufriez A, Rusiecka OM, Martin C, Bes V, Carpio LE, Girardin Y, Loris R, Tabernilla A, Molica F, Gozalbes R, Mayán MD, Vinken M, Kwak BR, Ballet S. Structure-Based Design and Synthesis of Stapled 10Panx1 Analogues for Use in Cardiovascular Inflammatory Diseases. J Med Chem 2023; 66:13086-13102. [PMID: 37703077 PMCID: PMC10544015 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01116] [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: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Following a rational design, a series of macrocyclic ("stapled") peptidomimetics of 10Panx1, the most established peptide inhibitor of Pannexin1 (Panx1) channels, were developed and synthesized. Two macrocyclic analogues SBL-PX1-42 and SBL-PX1-44 outperformed the linear native peptide. During in vitro adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release and Yo-Pro-1 uptake assays in a Panx1-expressing tumor cell line, both compounds were revealed to be promising bidirectional inhibitors of Panx1 channel function, able to induce a two-fold inhibition, as compared to the native 10Panx1 sequence. The introduction of triazole-based cross-links within the peptide backbones increased helical content and enhanced in vitro proteolytic stability in human plasma (>30-fold longer half-lives, compared to 10Panx1). In adhesion assays, a "double-stapled" peptide, SBL-PX1-206 inhibited ATP release from endothelial cells, thereby efficiently reducing THP-1 monocyte adhesion to a TNF-α-activated endothelial monolayer and making it a promising candidate for future in vivo investigations in animal models of cardiovascular inflammatory disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Lamouroux
- Research
Group of Organic Chemistry, Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering
Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Malaury Tournier
- Department
of Pathology and Immunology and Geneva Center for Inflammation Research,
Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Debora Iaculli
- Research
Group of Organic Chemistry, Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering
Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anne Caufriez
- Research
Group of Organic Chemistry, Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering
Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Research
Unit of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Department of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit
Brussel, Laarbeeklaan
103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Olga M. Rusiecka
- Department
of Pathology and Immunology and Geneva Center for Inflammation Research,
Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Charlotte Martin
- Research
Group of Organic Chemistry, Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering
Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Viviane Bes
- Department
of Pathology and Immunology and Geneva Center for Inflammation Research,
Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Laureano E. Carpio
- ProtoQSAR
SL, Centro Europeo de Empresas Innovadoras, Parque Tecnológico de Valencia, Avda. Benjamin Franklin 12, 46980 Paterna, Spain
| | - Yana Girardin
- Structural
Biology Brussels, Department of Biotechnology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Centre for
Structural Biology, VIB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Remy Loris
- Structural
Biology Brussels, Department of Biotechnology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Centre for
Structural Biology, VIB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Andrés Tabernilla
- Research
Unit of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Department of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit
Brussel, Laarbeeklaan
103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Filippo Molica
- Department
of Pathology and Immunology and Geneva Center for Inflammation Research,
Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Rafael Gozalbes
- ProtoQSAR
SL, Centro Europeo de Empresas Innovadoras, Parque Tecnológico de Valencia, Avda. Benjamin Franklin 12, 46980 Paterna, Spain
- MolDrug
AI Systems SL, c/Olimpia
Arozena 45, 46018 Valencia, Spain
| | - María D. Mayán
- CellCOM
Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica
de A Coruña, Servizo Galego de Saúde, Universidade da Coruña, 15071 A Coruña, Spain
| | - Mathieu Vinken
- Research
Unit of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Department of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit
Brussel, Laarbeeklaan
103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Brenda R. Kwak
- Department
of Pathology and Immunology and Geneva Center for Inflammation Research,
Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Steven Ballet
- Research
Group of Organic Chemistry, Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering
Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
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9
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Goettig P, Koch NG, Budisa N. Non-Canonical Amino Acids in Analyses of Protease Structure and Function. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14035. [PMID: 37762340 PMCID: PMC10531186 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
All known organisms encode 20 canonical amino acids by base triplets in the genetic code. The cellular translational machinery produces proteins consisting mainly of these amino acids. Several hundred natural amino acids serve important functions in metabolism, as scaffold molecules, and in signal transduction. New side chains are generated mainly by post-translational modifications, while others have altered backbones, such as the β- or γ-amino acids, or they undergo stereochemical inversion, e.g., in the case of D-amino acids. In addition, the number of non-canonical amino acids has further increased by chemical syntheses. Since many of these non-canonical amino acids confer resistance to proteolytic degradation, they are potential protease inhibitors and tools for specificity profiling studies in substrate optimization and enzyme inhibition. Other applications include in vitro and in vivo studies of enzyme kinetics, molecular interactions and bioimaging, to name a few. Amino acids with bio-orthogonal labels are particularly attractive, enabling various cross-link and click reactions for structure-functional studies. Here, we cover the latest developments in protease research with non-canonical amino acids, which opens up a great potential, e.g., for novel prodrugs activated by proteases or for other pharmaceutical compounds, some of which have already reached the clinical trial stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Goettig
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Nikolaj G. Koch
- Biocatalysis Group, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
- Bioanalytics Group, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Bioanalytics Group, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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10
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Kriegesmann J, Schlatzer T, Che K, Altdorf C, Huhmann S, Kählig H, Kurzbach D, Breinbauer R, Becker CFW. Constraining and Modifying Peptides Using Pd-Mediated Cysteine Allylation. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300098. [PMID: 36917494 PMCID: PMC10947015 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300098] [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: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decades, several strategies for inducing and stabilizing secondary structure formation in peptides have been developed to increase their proteolytic stability and their binding affinity to specific interaction partners. Here, we report how our recently introduced chemoselective Pd-catalyzed cysteine allylation reaction can be extended to stapling and how the resulting alkene-containing staples themselves can be further modified to introduce additional probes into such stabilized peptides. The latter is demonstrated by introducing a fluorophore as well as a PEG moiety into different stapled peptides using bioorthogonal thiol-ene and Diels-Alder reactions. Furthermore, we investigated structural implications of our allyl staples when used to replace conformationally relevant disulfide bridges. To this end, we chose a selective binder of integrin α3 β1 (LXY3), which is only active in its cyclic disulfide form. We replaced the disulfide bridge by different stapling reagents in order to increase stability and binding affinity towards integrin α3 β1 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Kriegesmann
- Institute of Biological ChemistryFaculty of ChemistryUniversity of Vienna1090ViennaAustria
| | - Thomas Schlatzer
- Institute of Organic ChemistryGraz University of Technology8010GrazAustria
| | - Kateryna Che
- Institute of Biological ChemistryFaculty of ChemistryUniversity of Vienna1090ViennaAustria
| | - Claudia Altdorf
- Syntab Therapeutics GmbHPauwelstrasse 17post code?AachenGermany
| | - Susanne Huhmann
- Institute of Biological ChemistryFaculty of ChemistryUniversity of Vienna1090ViennaAustria
| | - Hanspeter Kählig
- Department of Organic ChemistryFaculty of ChemistryUniversity of Vienna1090ViennaAustria
| | - Dennis Kurzbach
- Institute of Biological ChemistryFaculty of ChemistryUniversity of Vienna1090ViennaAustria
| | - Rolf Breinbauer
- Institute of Organic ChemistryGraz University of Technology8010GrazAustria
| | - Christian F. W. Becker
- Institute of Biological ChemistryFaculty of ChemistryUniversity of Vienna1090ViennaAustria
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11
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Quagliata M, Stincarelli MA, Papini AM, Giannecchini S, Rovero P. Antiviral Activity against SARS-CoV-2 of Conformationally Constrained Helical Peptides Derived from Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:22665-22672. [PMID: 37387789 PMCID: PMC10275481 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c01436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite the availability of vaccines, COVID-19 continues to be aggressive, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Therefore, the development of a specific therapeutic agent with antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 is necessary. The infection pathway starts when the receptor binding domain of the viral spike protein interacts with the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which acts as a host receptor for the RBD expressed on the host cell surface. In this scenario, ACE2 analogs binding to the RBD and preventing the cell entry can be promising antiviral agents. Most of the ACE2 residues involved in the interaction belong to the α1 helix, more specifically to the minimal fragment ACE2(24-42). In order to increase the stability of the secondary structure and thus antiviral activity, we designed different triazole-stapled analogs, changing the position and the number of bridges. The peptide called P3, which has the triazole-containing bridge in the positions 36-40, showed promising antiviral activity at micromolar concentrations assessed by plaque reduction assay. On the other hand, the double-stapled peptide P4 lost the activity, showing that excessive rigidity disfavors the interaction with the RBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Quagliata
- Interdepartmental
Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | | | - Anna Maria Papini
- Interdepartmental
Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department
of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University
of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Paolo Rovero
- Interdepartmental
Research Unit of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology, Department
of NeuroFarBa, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
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12
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Kumar Sharma A, Satpati D, Sharma R, Das A, Dev Sarma H, Mukherjee A. Targeting HER2-Receptors with 177Lu-Labeled Triazole Stapled Cyclic Peptidomimetic. Bioorg Chem 2023; 135:106503. [PMID: 37037128 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
In this study on-resin Cu(I)-catalyzed click reaction was performed to synthesize triazole-stapled cyclic peptidomimetic, DOTA-c[TZ]A9 targeting HER2 receptor expression in breast cancers. Spectroscopic (circular dichroism) and docking analysis provided evidence of enhanced helicity and secondary structure stabilization along with improved HER2 affinity in comparison to the corresponding linear peptide, DOTA-[Pra1, Aza7]A9. 177Lu-labeled cyclic peptide, 177Lu-DOTA-c[TZ]A9 displayed higher in vitro serum stability and in vivo metabolic stability and better HER2 binding affinity {Kd of 16.93 ± 3.02 nM} than the linear counterpart, [177Lu]DOTA-[Pra1, Aza7]A9 {Kd of 26.28 ± 2.87 nM}. Biodistribution profile in SKBR3 tumor bearing SCID mice demonstrated elevated radioactivity levels and prolonged retention of cyclic peptide in the tumor compared to the linear peptide. Thus, solid phase click cyclization technique can be extended towards preparation of triazole-stapled peptides targeting different receptors with improved stability and efficacy.
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13
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You Y, Liu H, Zhu Y, Zheng H. Rational design of stapled antimicrobial peptides. Amino Acids 2023; 55:421-442. [PMID: 36781451 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-023-03245-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
The global increase in antimicrobial drug resistance has dramatically reduced the effectiveness of traditional antibiotics. Structurally diverse antibiotics are urgently needed to combat multiple-resistant bacterial infections. As part of innate immunity, antimicrobial peptides have been recognized as the most promising candidates because they comprise diverse sequences and mechanisms of action and have a relatively low induction rate of resistance. However, because of their low chemical stability, susceptibility to proteases, and high hemolytic effect, their usage is subject to many restrictions. Chemical modifications such as D-amino acid substitution, cyclization, and unnatural amino acid modification have been used to improve the stability of antimicrobial peptides for decades. Among them, a side-chain covalent bridge modification, the so-called stapled peptide, has attracted much attention. The stapled side-chain bridge stabilizes the secondary structure, induces protease resistance, and increases cell penetration and biological activity. Recent progress in computer-aided drug design and artificial intelligence methods has also been used in the design of stapled antimicrobial peptides and has led to the successful discovery of many prospective peptides. This article reviews the possible structure-activity relationships of stapled antimicrobial peptides, the physicochemical properties that influence their activity (such as net charge, hydrophobicity, helicity, and dipole moment), and computer-aided methods of stapled peptide design. Antimicrobial peptides under clinical trial: Pexiganan (NCT01594762, 2012-05-07). Omiganan (NCT02576847, 2015-10-13).
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Affiliation(s)
- YuHao You
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - HongYu Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - YouZhuo Zhu
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Heng Zheng
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China.
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14
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Shen LA, Peng X, Bao Y, Liu C, Zhang H, Li J, Zhu D, Zhang Q. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of quercetin derivatives as novel β-catenin/B-cell lymphoma 9 protein-protein interaction inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 247:115075. [PMID: 36599228 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.115075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The β-catenin/B-cell lymphoma 9 (BCL9) protein-protein interaction (PPI) is a potential target for the suppression of hyperactive Wnt/β-catenin signaling that is vigorously involved in cancer initiation and development. Herein, we first described quercetin and its derivatives had potential inhibitory effects on β-catenin/BCL9 PPI. The most potent compound, quercetin-3'-O-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl) propyl (C1), directly binded with β-catenin and disrupted the β-catenin/BCL9 interaction in both the protein level and the cellular context. C1 also effectively inhibited colorectal cancer in vitro and showed better selectivity in inhibiting hyperactive Wnt/β-catenin signaling cells like CT26 and HCT116. And we further confirmed that C1 could inhibit CT26 tumor growth in vivo and regulate the tumor immune microenvironment. This study provides a good chemical probe to explore β-catenin-related biology and a drug-like quercetin derivative as novel β-catenin/BCL9 PPI inhibitors for further drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-An Shen
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xinyan Peng
- Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Ya Bao
- Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Chenglong Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201203, China; Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jianqi Li
- Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Di Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201203, China; Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201100, China.
| | - Qingwei Zhang
- Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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15
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Zhang H, Liu C, Chen Q, Shen LA, Xiao W, Li J, Wang Y, Zhu D, Zhang Q, Li J. Discovery of Novel 3-Phenylpiperidine Derivatives Targeting the β-Catenin/B-Cell Lymphoma 9 Interaction as a Single Agent and in Combination with the Anti-PD-1 Antibody for the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer. J Med Chem 2023; 66:1349-1379. [PMID: 36630177 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Direct disruption of the β-catenin/B-cell lymphoma 9 (BCL9) protein-protein interaction (PPI) is a potential strategy for colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment through inhibiting oncogenic Wnt activity. Herein, a series of 3-phenylpiperidine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated as β-catenin/BCL9 PPI inhibitors. Among them, compound 41 showed the best IC50 (0.72 μM) in a competitive fluorescence polarization assay and a KD value of 0.26 μM for the β-catenin protein. This compound selectively inhibited the growth of CRC cells, suppressed Wnt signaling transactivation, and downregulated oncogenic Wnt target gene expression. In vivo, 41 showed potent anti-CRC activity and promoted the infiltration and function of cytotoxic T lymphocytes while decreasing the infiltration of regulatory T-cells (Tregs). Furthermore, the combination of 41 and the anti-PD-1 antibody (Ab) efficiently enhanced anti-CRC efficacy, first verifying the in vivo efficacy of the small-molecule β-catenin/BCL9 PPI inhibitor and anti-PD-1 Ab in combination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China.,Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, 285 Gebai Ni Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Chenglong Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qiushi Chen
- Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, 285 Gebai Ni Road, Shanghai 201203, China.,School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, 333 Longteng Road, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Li-An Shen
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Wenting Xiao
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China.,Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, 285 Gebai Ni Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jiayi Li
- Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, 285 Gebai Ni Road, Shanghai 201203, China.,School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, 333 Longteng Road, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Yonghui Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Di Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Science, Fudan University, 138 Yixue Yuan Road, Shanghai 201100, China
| | - Qingwei Zhang
- Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, 285 Gebai Ni Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jianqi Li
- Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, 285 Gebai Ni Road, Shanghai 201203, China
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16
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Zhang H, Liu C, Zhu D, Zhang Q, Li J. Medicinal Chemistry Strategies for the Development of Inhibitors Disrupting β-Catenin's Interactions with Its Nuclear Partners. J Med Chem 2023; 66:1-31. [PMID: 36583662 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is strongly associated with various aspects of cancer, including tumor initiation, proliferation, and metastasis as well as antitumor immunity, and presents a promising opportunity for cancer therapy. Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation increases nuclear dephosphorylated β-catenin levels, resulting in β-catenin binding to TCF and additional cotranscription factors, such as BCL9, CBP, and p300. Therefore, directly disrupting β-catenin's interactions with these nuclear partners holds promise for the effective and selective suppression of the aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Herein, we summarize recent advances in biochemical techniques and medicinal chemistry strategies used to identify potent peptide-based and small-molecule inhibitors that directly disrupt β-catenin's interactions with its nuclear binding partners. We discuss the challenges involved in developing drug-like inhibitors that target the interactions of β-catenin and its nuclear binding partner into therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China.,Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Chenglong Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Di Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 201100, China
| | - Qingwei Zhang
- Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jianqi Li
- Novel Technology Center of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
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17
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Development of a Penetratin-Conjugated Stapled Peptide that Inhibits Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 73:117021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.117021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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18
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Multifunctional synthetic nano-chaperone for peptide folding and intracellular delivery. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4568. [PMID: 35931667 PMCID: PMC9356039 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32268-2] [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: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Artificial, synthetic chaperones have attracted much attention in biomedical research due to their ability to control the folding of proteins and peptides. Here, we report bio-inspired multifunctional porous nanoparticles to modulate proper folding and intracellular delivery of therapeutic α-helical peptide. The Synthetic Nano-Chaperone for Peptide (SNCP) based on porous nanoparticles provides an internal hydrophobic environment which contributes in stabilizing secondary structure of encapsulated α-helical peptides due to the hydrophobic internal environments. In addition, SNCP with optimized inner surface modification not only improves thermal stability for α-helical peptide but also supports the peptide stapling methods in situ, serving as a nanoreactor. Then, SNCP subsequently delivers the stabilized therapeutic α-helical peptides into cancer cells, resulting in high therapeutic efficacy. SNCP improves cellular uptake and bioavailability of the anti-cancer peptide, so the cancer growth is effectively inhibited in vivo. These data indicate that the bio-inspired SNCP system combining nanoreactor and delivery carrier could provide a strategy to expedite the development of peptide therapeutics by overcoming existing drawbacks of α-helical peptides as drug candidates. Molecular chaperones play an important part in protein folding and delivery in nature. Here, the authors report on the creation of a synthetic chaperone to control the folding of therapeutic peptides from random coil to alpha helix and demonstrate enhanced therapeutic potential in an in vivo tumour model.
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19
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Wang Z, Zhang M, Thompson HM, Ji H. New ZW4864 Derivatives as Small-Molecule Inhibitors for the β-Catenin/BCL9 Protein-Protein Interaction. ACS Med Chem Lett 2022; 13:865-870. [PMID: 35586435 PMCID: PMC9109161 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of 1-(3-(2-amino-2-oxoethoxy)phenyl)piperidine-3-carboxamide derivatives was reported as new small-molecule β-catenin/B-cell lymphoma 9 (BCL9) protein-protein interaction (PPI) inhibitors. Compounds 17-21 were discovered to inhibit the β-catenin/BCL9 PPI with K i = 0.85-2.7 μM. The effects of 21 on the β-catenin/BCL9 PPI in cellular context were demonstrated by β-catenin/BCL9 pull-down inhibition and dose-dependent suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signal transactivation. Notably, compound 21 is more potent than ZW4864, a previously reported analogue, in modulating transcription and expression of β-catenin target genes and suppressing survival of β-catenin-dependent cancer cells. The cellular on-target efficacy of 21 was demonstrated by β-catenin rescue experiments. Compound 21 represents a promising starting point for further optimization of β-catenin/BCL9 PPI inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Wang
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
| | - Min Zhang
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
| | - Harriet M. Thompson
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
| | - Haitao Ji
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620-9497, United States
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620-9497, United States
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20
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Tanton H, Sewastianik T, Seo HS, Remillard D, Pierre RS, Bala P, Aitymbayev D, Dennis P, Adler K, Geffken E, Yeoh Z, Vangos N, Garbicz F, Scott D, Sethi N, Bradner J, Dhe-Paganon S, Carrasco RD. A novel β-catenin/BCL9 complex inhibitor blocks oncogenic Wnt signaling and disrupts cholesterol homeostasis in colorectal cancer. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm3108. [PMID: 35486727 PMCID: PMC9054024 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm3108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulated Wnt/β-catenin signaling is implicated in the pathogenesis of many human cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC), making it an attractive clinical target. With the aim of inhibiting oncogenic Wnt activity, we developed a high-throughput screening AlphaScreen assay to identify selective small-molecule inhibitors of the interaction between β-catenin and its coactivator BCL9. We identified a compound that consistently bound to β-catenin and specifically inhibited in vivo native β-catenin/BCL9 complex formation in CRC cell lines. This compound inhibited Wnt activity, down-regulated expression of the Wnt/β-catenin signature in gene expression studies, disrupted cholesterol homeostasis, and significantly reduced the proliferation of CRC cell lines and tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model of CRC. This study has therefore identified a specific small-molecule inhibitor of oncogenic Wnt signaling, which may have value as a probe for functional studies and has important implications for the development of novel therapies in patients with CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Tanton
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tomasz Sewastianik
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine,, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Hyuk-Soo Seo
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Remillard
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roodolph St. Pierre
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pratyusha Bala
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Daulet Aitymbayev
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Peter Dennis
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Keith Adler
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ezekiel Geffken
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zoe Yeoh
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas Vangos
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Filip Garbicz
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine,, Warsaw, Poland
| | - David Scott
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nilay Sethi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - James Bradner
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sirano Dhe-Paganon
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ruben D. Carrasco
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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21
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Lai Z, Yuan X, Chen H, Zhu Y, Dong N, Shan A. Strategies employed in the design of antimicrobial peptides with enhanced proteolytic stability. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 59:107962. [PMID: 35452776 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Due to the alarming developing rate of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens, the development and modification of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are unprecedentedly active. Despite the fact that considerable efforts have been expended on the discovery and design strategies of AMPs, the clinical translation of peptide antibiotics remains inadequate. A large number of articles and reviews credited the limited success of AMPs to their poor stability in the biological environment, particularly their poor proteolytic stability. In the past forty years, various design strategies have been used to improve the proteolytic stability of AMPs, such as sequence modification, cyclization, peptidomimetics, and nanotechnology. Herein, we focus our discussion on the progress made in improving the proteolytic stability of AMPs and the principle, successes, and limitations of various anti-proteolytic design strategies. It is of prospective significance to extend current insights into the degradation-related inactivation of AMPs and also alleviate/overcome the problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenheng Lai
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Xiaojie Yuan
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Hongyu Chen
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yunhui Zhu
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Na Dong
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Anshan Shan
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
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22
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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] [Grants] [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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23
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Lubos M, Mrázková L, Gwozdiaková P, Pícha J, Buděšínský M, Jiráček J, Kaminský J, Žáková L. Functional stapled fragments of human preptin of minimised length. Org Biomol Chem 2022; 20:2446-2454. [PMID: 35253830 DOI: 10.1039/d1ob02193a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Preptin is a 34-amino-acid-long peptide derived from the E-domain of a precursor of insulin-like growth factor 2 (pro-IGF2) with bone-anabolic and insulin secretion amplifying properties. Here, we describe the synthesis, structures, and biological activities of six shortened analogues of human preptin. Eight- and nine-amino-acid-long peptide amides corresponding to the C-terminal part of human preptin were stabilised by two types of staples to induce a higher proportion of helicity in their secondary structure. We monitored the secondary structure of the stapled peptides using circular dichroism. The biological effect of the structural changes was determined afterwards by the ability of peptides to stimulate the release of intracellular calcium ions. We confirmed the previous observation that the stabilisation of the disordered conformation of human preptin has a deleterious effect on biological potency. However, surprisingly, one of our preptin analogues, a nonapeptide stabilised by olefin metathesis between positions 3 and 7 of the amino acid chain, had a similar ability to stimulate calcium ions' release to the full-length human preptin. Our findings could open up new ways to design new preptin analogues, which may have potential as drugs for the treatment of diabetes and osteoporosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Lubos
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Lucie Mrázková
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Petra Gwozdiaková
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Pícha
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Miloš Buděšínský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Jiří Jiráček
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Jakub Kaminský
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Lenka Žáková
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic.
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24
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Luong HX, Bui HTP, Tung TT. Application of the All-Hydrocarbon Stapling Technique in the Design of Membrane-Active Peptides. J Med Chem 2022; 65:3026-3045. [PMID: 35112864 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The threats of drug resistance and new emerging pathogens have led to an urgent need to develop alternative treatment therapies. Recently, considerable research efforts have focused on membrane-active peptides (MAPs), a category of peptides in drug discovery with antimicrobial, anticancer, and cell penetration activities that have demonstrated their potential to be multifunctional agents. Nonetheless, natural MAPs have encountered various disadvantages, which mainly include poor bioavailability, the lack of a secondary structure in short peptides, and high production costs for long peptide sequences. Hence, an "all-hydrocarbon stapling system" has been applied to these peptides and proven to effectively stabilize the helical conformations, improving proteolytic resistance and increasing both the potency and the cell permeability. In this review, we summarized and categorized the advances made using this powerful technique in the development of stapled MAPs. Furthermore, outstanding issues and suggestions for future design within each subcategory were thoroughly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huy Xuan Luong
- Faculty of Pharmacy, PHENIKAA University, Hanoi 12116, Vietnam.,PHENIKAA Institute for Advanced Study (PIAS), PHENIKAA University, Hanoi 12116, Vietnam
| | | | - Truong Thanh Tung
- Faculty of Pharmacy, PHENIKAA University, Hanoi 12116, Vietnam.,PHENIKAA Institute for Advanced Study (PIAS), PHENIKAA University, Hanoi 12116, Vietnam
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25
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Islam MS, Junod SL, Zhang S, Buuh ZY, Guan Y, Zhao M, Kaneria KH, Kafley P, Cohen C, Maloney R, Lyu Z, Voelz VA, Yang W, Wang RE. Unprotected peptide macrocyclization and stapling via a fluorine-thiol displacement reaction. Nat Commun 2022; 13:350. [PMID: 35039490 PMCID: PMC8763920 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-27995-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the discovery of a facile peptide macrocyclization and stapling strategy based on a fluorine thiol displacement reaction (FTDR), which renders a class of peptide analogues with enhanced stability, affinity, cellular uptake, and inhibition of cancer cells. This approach enabled selective modification of the orthogonal fluoroacetamide side chains in unprotected peptides in the presence of intrinsic cysteines. The identified benzenedimethanethiol linker greatly promoted the alpha helicity of a variety of peptide substrates, as corroborated by molecular dynamics simulations. The cellular uptake of benzenedimethanethiol stapled peptides appeared to be universally enhanced compared to the classic ring-closing metathesis (RCM) stapled peptides. Pilot mechanism studies suggested that the uptake of FTDR-stapled peptides may involve multiple endocytosis pathways in a distinct pattern in comparison to peptides stapled by RCM. Consistent with the improved cell permeability, the FTDR-stapled lead Axin and p53 peptide analogues demonstrated enhanced inhibition of cancer cells over the RCM-stapled analogues and the unstapled peptides. Strategies capable of stapling unprotected peptides in a straightforward, chemoselective, and clean manner, as well as promoting cellular uptake are of great interest. Here the authors report a peptide macrocyclization and stapling strategy which satisfies those criteria, based on a fluorine thiol displacement reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Shafiqul Islam
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Samuel L Junod
- Department of Biology, Temple University, 1900 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Si Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Zakey Yusuf Buuh
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Yifu Guan
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Mi Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Kishan H Kaneria
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Parmila Kafley
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Carson Cohen
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Robert Maloney
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Zhigang Lyu
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Vincent A Voelz
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Weidong Yang
- Department of Biology, Temple University, 1900 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Rongsheng E Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA.
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26
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Ibiang GO, Malachi J, Ibiang MO, Chukwudi DK, Durojaye OA. Oral cavity infection by the SARS-CoV-2: emphasizing the essence of masking and peptide therapeutics. EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL HUMAN GENETICS 2022; 23:1. [PMID: 37521842 PMCID: PMC8744569 DOI: 10.1186/s43042-022-00213-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 has infected many people globally with the ravaging COVID-19; a disease, which has become challenging for every aspect of modern healthcare. The saliva and oral mucosa are sites of high risk for increased viral loads, and aside from the usual epithelial functions like lining and protection, the oral mucosa is also specialized for crucial functions, such as secretion, mastication, sensory perception, and taste perception. The human ACE2 receptor has been extensively studied for its essential role in the regulation of blood pressure homeostasis. However, scRNA-Seq studies have revealed high expression levels of the protein in keratinized epithelial surfaces of the oral cavity. The SARS-CoV-2 have access to the host's body by binding to the ACE2 receptor, leading to the cleavage and major conformational changes in the viral spike glycoprotein for the release of its nucleocapsid into the cellular cytoplasm. This proteolytic cleavage is carried out by the TMPRSS2 and cathepsin L. In this study, we harnessed the information from the binding interface of TMPRSS2 and PAI-1 (a protease inhibitor known to inhibit the TMPRSS2 and several other proteases) to design a potential therapeutic peptide for the inhibition of the TMPRSS2, while also emphasizing the need for preventive masking. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43042-022-00213-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glory Omini Ibiang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Coal City University, Emene, Enugu State Nigeria
| | - Joseph Malachi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Coal City University, Emene, Enugu State Nigeria
| | - Mercy Omini Ibiang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Coal City University, Emene, Enugu State Nigeria
| | | | - Olanrewaju Ayodeji Durojaye
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Coal City University, Emene, Enugu State Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State Nigeria
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27
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Gruß H, Feiner RC, Mseya R, Schröder DC, Jewgiński M, Müller KM, Latajka R, Marion A, Sewald N. Peptide stapling by late-stage Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling. Beilstein J Org Chem 2022; 18:1-12. [PMID: 35047078 PMCID: PMC8744458 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.18.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of peptide stapling techniques to stabilise α-helical secondary structure motifs of peptides led to the design of modulators of protein–protein interactions, which had been considered undruggable for a long time. We disclose a novel approach towards peptide stapling utilising macrocyclisation by late-stage Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of bromotryptophan-containing peptides of the catenin-binding domain of axin. Optimisation of the linker length in order to find a compromise between both sufficient linker rigidity and flexibility resulted in a peptide with an increased α-helicity and enhanced binding affinity to its native binding partner β-catenin. An increased proteolytic stability against proteinase K has been demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Gruß
- Department of Chemistry, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Rebecca C Feiner
- Department of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Ridhiwan Mseya
- Department of Chemistry, Middle East Technical University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - David C Schröder
- Department of Chemistry, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Michał Jewgiński
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Kristian M Müller
- Department of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Rafał Latajka
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Antoine Marion
- Department of Chemistry, Middle East Technical University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Norbert Sewald
- Department of Chemistry, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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28
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Xiao Q, Jones ZB, Hatfield SC, Ashton DS, Dalley NA, Dyer CD, Evangelista JL, Price JL. Structural guidelines for stabilization of α-helical coiled coils via PEG stapling. RSC Chem Biol 2022; 3:1096-1104. [PMID: 36128502 PMCID: PMC9428657 DOI: 10.1039/d1cb00237f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Macrocyclization or stapling is one of the most well-known and generally applicable strategies for enhancing peptide/protein conformational stability and target binding affinity. However, there are limited structure- or sequence-based guidelines for the incorporation of optimal interhelical staples within coiled coils: the location and length of an interhelical staple is either arbitrarily chosen or requires significant optimization. Here we explore the impact of interhelical PEG stapling on the conformational stability and proteolytic resistance of a model disulfide-bound heterodimeric coiled coil. We demonstrate that (1) interhelical PEG staples are more stabilizing when placed farther from an existing disulfide crosslink; (2) e/g′ staples are more stabilizing than f/b′ or b/c′ staples; (3) PEG staples between different positions have different optimal staple lengths; (4) PEG stapling tolerates variation in the structure of the PEG linker and in the mode of conjugation; and (5) the guidelines developed here enable the rational design of a stabilized PEG-stapled HER-2 affibody with enhanced conformational stability and proteolytic resistance. Here we identify key criteria for designing PEG-stapled coiled coils with increased conformational and proteolytic stability.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Xiao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA
| | - Zachary B. Jones
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA
| | - Samantha C. Hatfield
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA
| | - Dallin S. Ashton
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA
| | - Nicholas A. Dalley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA
| | - Cody D. Dyer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA
| | - Judah L. Evangelista
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Joshua L. Price
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA
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29
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Zhao R, Shi X, Shi L, Zhao H, Yin F, Li Z. Solid phase diversity-oriented lysine modification of cyclic peptides. J Pept Sci 2021; 28:e3373. [PMID: 34643009 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Herein, we report a novel strategy for diversity-oriented lysine modification of cyclic peptides based on the orthogonal alkylation of the lysine residues. All steps can be achieved in the solid phase with satisfying conversions. Notably, we demonstrated that the tether modification could help to improve the cellular uptake of peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongtong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaodong Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Linlin Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Feng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zigang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
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30
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Helical Stabilization of Peptide Macrocycles by Stapled Architectures. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 34596860 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1689-5_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, significant efforts have invested in the development of strategies for the stabilization of macrocyclic peptides with α-helix structure by stapling their architectures. These strategies can be divided into two categories: side chain to side chain cross-linking and N-terminal helix nucleation. These stable macrocyclic peptides have been applied in PPI inhibitors and self-assembly materials. Compared with unmodified short peptides, stable α-helix macrocyclic polypeptides have better biophysical properties including higher serum stability, cell permeability, and higher target affinity. This chapter will systematically introduce approaches for helical stabilization of peptide macrocycles, such as ring-closing metathesis (RCM), lactamisation, cycloadditions, reversible reactions, thioether formation as well as newly found sulfonium center formation and the common use of helical stabilized macrocyclic peptides.
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31
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Wang Z, Zhang M, Quereda V, Frydman SM, Ming Q, Luca VC, Duckett DR, Ji H. Discovery of an Orally Bioavailable Small-Molecule Inhibitor for the β-Catenin/B-Cell Lymphoma 9 Protein-Protein Interaction. J Med Chem 2021; 64:12109-12131. [PMID: 34382808 PMCID: PMC8817233 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is strongly associated with many diseases including cancer invasion and metastasis. Small-molecule targeting of the central signaling node of this pathway, β-catenin, is a biologically rational approach to abolish hyperactivation of β-catenin signaling but has been demonstrated to be a difficult task. Herein, we report a drug-like small molecule, ZW4864, that binds with β-catenin and selectively disrupts the protein-protein interaction (PPI) between B-cell lymphoma 9 (BCL9) and β-catenin while sparing the β-catenin/E-cadherin PPI. ZW4864 dose-dependently suppresses β-catenin signaling activation, downregulates oncogenic β-catenin target genes, and abrogates invasiveness of β-catenin-dependent cancer cells. More importantly, ZW4864 shows good pharmacokinetic properties and effectively suppresses β-catenin target gene expression in the patient-derived xenograft mouse model. This study offers a selective chemical probe to explore β-catenin-related biology and a drug-like small-molecule β-catenin/BCL9 disruptor for future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Wang
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
| | - Min Zhang
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
| | - Victor Quereda
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
| | - Sylvia M Frydman
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
| | - Qianqian Ming
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
| | - Vincent C Luca
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
| | - Derek R Duckett
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
| | - Haitao Ji
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
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32
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Type I collagen promotes tumor progression of integrin β1 positive gastric cancer through a BCL9L/β-catenin signaling pathway. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:19064-19076. [PMID: 34319913 PMCID: PMC8351671 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The mechanism of extracellular matrix induced tumor progression is poorly understood. Based on the TCGA database and clinical tumor tissues analysis, we observed abundant type I collagen expression in tumor tissues and poor overall survival in gastric patients with high integrin β1 (ITGB1) expression. In vitro, our study found that 3D collagen culture promoted the capability of colony formation and growth in ITGB1 positive gastric cancer, whereas limited colony growth was observed in ITGB1 negative gastric cancer, suggesting the role of ITGB1 in type I collagen associated tumor progression. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that type I collagen was capable of promoting the activation of BCL9L/β-catenin signaling pathway through ITGB1, thereby contributing to the gastric cancer development. Subsequently, β-catenin signals further up-regulated the expression anti-apoptosis protein BCL2, leading to the chemo-resistance in gastric cancer cells. Blockade of β-catenin signals efficiently improved the anticancer effects of chemotherapy, providing an innovative sight for clinical gastric cancer therapy.
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33
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Li Z, Zhang M, Teuscher KB, Ji H. Discovery of 1-Benzoyl 4-Phenoxypiperidines as Small-Molecule Inhibitors of the β-Catenin/B-Cell Lymphoma 9 Protein-Protein Interaction. J Med Chem 2021; 64:11195-11218. [PMID: 34270257 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Structure-based design and optimization were performed to develop small-molecule β-catenin/B-cell lymphoma 9 (BCL9) inhibitors and improve their inhibitory activities. Compound ZL3138 with a novel 1-benzoyl 4-phenoxypiperidine scaffold was discovered to disrupt the β-catenin/BCL9 protein-protein interaction (PPI) with a Ki of 0.96 μM in AlphaScreen competitive inhibition assays and displayed good selectivity for β-catenin/BCL9 over β-catenin/E-cadherin PPIs. The binding mode of new inhibitors was characterized by structure-activity relationship and site-directed mutagenesis studies. Protein pull-down assays indicate that this series of compounds directly binds with β-catenin. Cellular target engagement and co-immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrate that ZL3138 binds with β-catenin and disrupts the β-catenin/BCL9 interaction without affecting the β-catenin/E-cadherin interaction in living cells. Further cell-based studies show that ZL3138 selectively suppresses transactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, regulates transcription and expression of Wnt target genes, and inhibits the growth of Wnt/β-catenin-dependent cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zilu Li
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States.,Departments of Oncologic Sciences and Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
| | - Min Zhang
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
| | - Kevin B Teuscher
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Center for Cell and Genome Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0850, United States
| | - Haitao Ji
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States.,Departments of Oncologic Sciences and Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
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34
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Agouram N, El Hadrami EM, Bentama A. 1,2,3-Triazoles as Biomimetics in Peptide Science. Molecules 2021; 26:2937. [PMID: 34069302 PMCID: PMC8156386 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26102937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural peptides are an important class of chemical mediators, essential for most vital processes. What limits the potential of the use of peptides as drugs is their low bioavailability and enzymatic degradation in vivo. To overcome this limitation, the development of new molecules mimicking peptides is of great importance for the development of new biologically active molecules. Therefore, replacing the amide bond in a peptide with a heterocyclic bioisostere, such as the 1,2,3-triazole ring, can be considered an effective solution for the synthesis of biologically relevant peptidomimetics. These 1,2,3-triazoles may have an interesting biological activity, because they behave as rigid link units, which can mimic the electronic properties of amide bonds and show bioisosteric effects. Additionally, triazole can be used as a linker moiety to link peptides to other functional groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naima Agouram
- Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Immouzer Road, Fez 30050, Morocco; (E.M.E.H.); (A.B.)
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35
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Wang Z, Zhang M, Luo W, Zhang Y, Ji H. Discovery of 2-(3-(3-Carbamoylpiperidin-1-yl)phenoxy)acetic Acid Derivatives as Novel Small-Molecule Inhibitors of the β-Catenin/B-Cell Lymphoma 9 Protein-Protein Interaction. J Med Chem 2021; 64:5886-5904. [PMID: 33902288 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The β-catenin/B-cell lymphoma 9 (BCL9) protein-protein interaction (PPI) is a potential target for the suppression of hyperactive Wnt/β-catenin signaling that is vigorously involved in cancer initiation and development. Herein, we describe the medicinal chemistry optimization of a screening hit to yield novel small-molecule inhibitors of the β-catenin/BCL9 interaction. The best compound 30 can disrupt the β-catenin/BCL9 interaction with a Ki of 3.6 μM in AlphaScreen competitive inhibition assays. Cell-based experiments revealed that 30 selectively disrupted the β-catenin/BCL9 PPI, while leaving the β-catenin/E-cadherin PPI unaffected, dose-dependently suppressed Wnt signaling transactivation, downregulated oncogenic Wnt target gene expression, and on-target selectively inhibited the growth of cancer cells harboring aberrant Wnt signaling. This compound with a new chemotype can serve as a lead compound for further optimization of inhibitors for β-catenin/BCL9 PPI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Wang
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
| | - Min Zhang
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
| | - Wen Luo
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States
| | - Yongqiang Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Cell and Genome Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0850, United States
| | - Haitao Ji
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States.,Departments of Oncologic Sciences and Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620-9497, United States
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36
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Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin signaling is crucial both in normal embryonic development and throughout the life of an organism. Moreover, aberrant Wnt signaling has been associated with various diseases, especially cancer and fibrosis. Recent research suggests that direct targeting of the β-catenin/BCL9 protein-protein interaction (PPI) is a promising strategy to block the Wnt pathway. Progress in understanding the cocrystalline complex and mechanism of action of the β-catenin/BCL9 interaction facilitates the discovery process of its inhibitors, but only a few inhibitors have been reported. In this review, the discovery and development of β-catenin/BCL9 PPI inhibitors in the areas of drug design, structure-activity relationships and biological and biochemical properties are summarized. In addition, perspectives for the future development of β-catenin/BCL9 PPI inhibitors are explored.
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37
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Cheung CHP, Xu J, Lee CL, Zhang Y, Wei R, Bierer D, Huang X, Li X. Construction of diverse peptide structural architectures via chemoselective peptide ligation. Chem Sci 2021; 12:7091-7097. [PMID: 34123337 PMCID: PMC8153220 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc01174j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Herein, we report the development of a facile synthetic strategy for constructing diverse peptide structural architectures via chemoselective peptide ligation. The key advancement involved is to utilize the benzofuran moiety as the peptide salicylaldehyde ester surrogate, and Dap-Ser/Lys-Ser dipeptide as the hydroxyl amino functionality, which could be successfully introduced at the side chain of peptides enabling peptide ligation. With this method, the side chain-to-side chain cyclic peptide, branched/bridged peptides, tailed cyclic peptides and multi-cyclic peptides have been designed and successfully synthesized with native peptidic linkages at the ligation sites. This strategy has provided an alternative strategic opportunity for synthetic peptide development. It also serves as an inspiration for the structural design of PPI inhibitors with new modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Hey Pui Cheung
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Lab of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong
| | - Jianchao Xu
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Lab of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong
| | - Chi Lung Lee
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Lab of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong
| | - Yanfeng Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Lab of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong
| | - Ruohan Wei
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Lab of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong
| | - Donald Bierer
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Bayer AG Aprather Weg 18A 42096 Wuppertal Germany
| | - Xuhui Huang
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Clear Water Bay Kowloon Hong Kong
| | - Xuechen Li
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Lab of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong
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38
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Liu Z, Wang P, Wold EA, Song Q, Zhao C, Wang C, Zhou J. Small-Molecule Inhibitors Targeting the Canonical WNT Signaling Pathway for the Treatment of Cancer. J Med Chem 2021; 64:4257-4288. [PMID: 33822624 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Canonical WNT signaling is an important developmental pathway that has attracted increased attention for anticancer drug discovery. From the production and secretion of WNT ligands, their binding to membrane receptors, and the β-catenin destruction complex to the expansive β-catenin transcriptional complex, multiple components have been investigated as drug targets to modulate WNT signaling. Significant progress in developing WNT inhibitors such as porcupine inhibitors, tankyrase inhibitors, β-catenin/coactivators, protein-protein interaction inhibitors, casein kinase modulators, DVL inhibitors, and dCTPP1 inhibitors has been made, with several candidates (e.g., LGK-974, PRI-724, and ETC-159) in human clinical trials. Herein we summarize recent progress in the drug discovery and development of small-molecule inhibitors targeting the canonical WNT pathway, focusing on their specific target proteins, in vitro and in vivo activities, physicochemical properties, and therapeutic potential. The relevant opportunities and challenges toward maintaining the balance between efficacy and toxicity in effectively targeting this pathway are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqing Liu
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, College of Food Science and Technology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Pingyuan Wang
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Eric A Wold
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Qiaoling Song
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, College of Food Science and Technology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Chenyang Zhao
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, College of Food Science and Technology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Changyun Wang
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, College of Food Science and Technology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Jia Zhou
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
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39
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Besenius P, Zengerling L, Kemper B, Hellmich UA. Synthesis and Structural Stability of α-Helical Gold(I)-Metallopeptidesy. Synlett 2021. [DOI: 10.1055/a-1290-8412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe synthesis of hexa- and dodecapeptides functionalized with two Au(I)–phosphine complexes is reported. The high stability of the Au(I)–phosphine bond allowed orthogonal peptide-protecting-group chemistry, even when using hard Lewis acids like boron tribromide. This enabled the preparation of an Fmoc-protected lysine derivative carrying the Au(I) complex in a side chain, which was used in standard Fmoc-based solid-phase peptide synthesis protocols. Alanine and leucine repeats in the metallododecapeptide formed α-helical secondary structures in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol–H2O and 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol–H2O mixtures with high thermal stability, as shown by temperature-dependent CD spectroscopy studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pol Besenius
- Department of Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz
| | | | - Benedict Kemper
- Department of Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz
| | - Ute A. Hellmich
- Department of Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe-University Frankfurt
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40
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Kandler R, Das S, Nag A. Copper-ligand clusters dictate size of cyclized peptide formed during alkyne-azide cycloaddition on solid support. RSC Adv 2021; 11:4842-4852. [PMID: 34377440 PMCID: PMC8351437 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra07491h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide and peptidomimetic cyclization by copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction have been used to mimic disulfide bonds, alpha helices, amide bonds, and for one-bead-one-compound (OBOC) library development. A limited number of solid-supported CuAAC cyclization methods resulting in monomeric cyclic peptide formation have been reported for specific peptide sequences, but there exists no general study on monocyclic peptide formation using CuAAC cyclization. Since several cyclic peptides identified from an OBOC CuAAC cyclized library has been shown to have important biological applications, we discuss here an efficient method of alkyne-azide 'click' catalyzed monomeric cyclic peptide formation on a solid support. The reason behind the efficiency of the method is explored. CuAAC cyclization of a peptide sequence with azidolysine and propargylglycine is performed under various reaction conditions, with different catalysts, in the presence or absence of an organic base. The results indicate that piperidine plays a critical role in the reaction yield and monomeric cycle formation by coordinating to Cu and forming Cu-ligand clusters. A previously synthesized copper compound containing piperidine, [Cu4I4(pip)4], is found to catalyze the CuAAC cyclization of monomeric peptide effectively. The use of 1.5 equivalents of CuI and the use of DMF as solvent is found to give optimal CuAAC cyclized monomer yields. The effect of the peptide sequence and peptide length on monomer formation are also investigated by varying either parameter systemically. Peptide length is identified as the determining factor for whether the monomeric or dimeric cyclic peptide is the major product. For peptides with six, seven, or eight amino acids, the monomer is the major product from CuAAC cyclization. Longer and shorter peptides on cyclization show less monomer formation. CuAAC peptide cyclization of non-optimal peptide lengths such as pentamers is affected significantly by the amino acid sequence and give lower yields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rene Kandler
- Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
| | - Samir Das
- Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
| | - Arundhati Nag
- Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
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41
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Wang Z, Li Z, Ji H. Direct targeting of β-catenin in the Wnt signaling pathway: Current progress and perspectives. Med Res Rev 2021; 41:2109-2129. [PMID: 33475177 DOI: 10.1002/med.21787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling circuit is associated with cancer recurrence and relapse, cancer invasion and metastasis, and cancer immune evasion. Direct targeting of β-catenin, the central hub in this signaling pathway, is a promising strategy to suppress the hyperactive β-catenin signaling but has proven to be highly challenging. Substantial efforts have been made to discover compounds that bind with β-catenin, block β-catenin-mediated protein-protein interactions, and suppress β-catenin signaling. Herein, we characterize potential small-molecule binding sites in β-catenin, summarize bioactive small molecules that directly target β-catenin, and review structure-based inhibitor optimization, structure-activity relationship, and biological activities of reported inhibitors. This knowledge will benefit future inhibitor development and β-catenin-related drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Wang
- Department of Drug Discovery, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Zilu Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Haitao Ji
- Department of Drug Discovery, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA.,Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
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42
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Ahangarpour M, Kavianinia I, Harris PWR, Brimble MA. Photo-induced radical thiol-ene chemistry: a versatile toolbox for peptide-based drug design. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:898-944. [PMID: 33404559 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs00354a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
While the global market for peptide/protein-based therapeutics is witnessing significant growth, the development of peptide drugs remains challenging due to their low oral bioavailability, poor membrane permeability, and reduced metabolic stability. However, a toolbox of chemical approaches has been explored for peptide modification to overcome these obstacles. In recent years, there has been a revival of interest in photoinduced radical thiol-ene chemistry as a powerful tool for the construction of therapeutic peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzieh Ahangarpour
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.
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43
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Liu Y, Hu K, Yin F, Li Z. Facile Chemoselective Modification of Thioethers Generates Chiral Center-Induced Helical Peptides. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2355:301-322. [PMID: 34386967 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1617-8_23] [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] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The modulation of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is a promising way for interrogating disease. Stapled peptides that stabilize peptides into a fixed α-helical conformation via chemical means are important representative compounds for regulating PPIs. The effect of the secondary conformation of peptides on the biophysical properties has not been explicitly elucidated due to the difficulty of obtaining peptide epimers with the same chemical composition but different conformations. Herein, we systematically designed and demonstrated the concept of "Chiral Center-Induced Helicity" (CIH) to stabilize the secondary structure of peptides. By introducing a precise R-configuration chiral center on the side-ring of a peptide, researchers can decisively regulate the secondary structure of peptides. Through the study of CIH peptides, we found that increasing the helicity can significantly enhance the stability of peptides and improve the cell membrane penetrating capability of the peptides. Moreover, the substitution group in the chiral center could contribute to additional interactions with the binding groove, which shows great significance for fragment-based drug design. This chapter will focus on the method involved in this research, including specific protocols of the synthesis and basic characterization of CIH peptides in Subheading 3.1. In addition, we have also extended the concept of CIH to dual-chiral center systems, including sulfoxide-based and sulfonium-based in-tether chiral center peptides, which we will introduce in Subheadings 3.2 and 3.3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kuan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Feng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zigang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, China.
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44
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Yadav V, Jobe N, Mehdawi L, Andersson T. Targeting Oncogenic WNT Signalling with WNT Signalling-Derived Peptides. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2021; 269:279-303. [PMID: 34455485 DOI: 10.1007/164_2021_528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
WNT signalling is known to be a crucial regulator of embryonic development and tissue homeostasis. Aberrant expression of WNT signalling elements or their mutations has been implicated in carcinogenesis and/or the progression of several different cancer types. Investigations of how WNT signalling affects carcinogenesis and cancer progression have revealed that it has essential roles in the regulation of proliferation, apoptosis, and cancer stemness and in angiogenesis and metastasis. Consequently, WNT-targeted therapy has gained much attention and has resulted in the development of several small molecules, the majority of which act as inhibitors of different WNT signalling events. However, although numerous inhibitory WNT signalling drug candidates have been included in clinical trials, no significant breakthroughs have been made. This could possibly be due to problems with inefficient binding to the target, compensatory signalling mechanisms and toxicity towards normal cells. Therapeutic peptides targeting WNT signalling in cancer cells have been developed as an alternative approach, with the hope that they might overcome the limitations reported for small WNT inhibitory molecules. In this chapter, we describe recent developments made in the design and characterization of WNT signalling-derived peptides aiming at their use as alternative cancer therapeutics and/or combined adjuvant therapy to conventional therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikas Yadav
- Experimental Pathology, Department of Translational Medicine, Clinical Research Centre, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Njainday Jobe
- Experimental Pathology, Department of Translational Medicine, Clinical Research Centre, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Lubna Mehdawi
- Experimental Pathology, Department of Translational Medicine, Clinical Research Centre, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Tommy Andersson
- Experimental Pathology, Department of Translational Medicine, Clinical Research Centre, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.
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45
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Furukawa N, Popel AS. Peptides that immunoactivate the tumor microenvironment. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2021; 1875:188486. [PMID: 33276025 PMCID: PMC8369429 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2020.188486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has achieved positive clinical outcomes and is revolutionizing cancer treatment. However, cancer immunotherapy has thus far failed to improve outcomes for most "cold tumors", which are characterized by low infiltration of immune cells and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Enhancing the responsiveness of cold tumors to cancer immunotherapy by stimulating the components of the tumor microenvironment is a strategy pursued in the last decade. Currently, most of the agents used to modify the tumor microenvironment are small molecules or antibodies. Small molecules exhibit low affinity and specificity towards the target and antibodies have shortcomings such as poor tissue penetration and high production cost. Peptides may overcome these drawbacks and therefore are promising materials for immunomodulating agents. Here we systematically summarize the currently developed immunoactivating peptides and discuss the potential of peptide therapeutics in cancer immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsuki Furukawa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
| | - Aleksander S Popel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
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46
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Rivera DG, Ojeda-Carralero GM, Reguera L, Van der Eycken EV. Peptide macrocyclization by transition metal catalysis. Chem Soc Rev 2020; 49:2039-2059. [PMID: 32142086 DOI: 10.1039/c9cs00366e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Peptide macrocyclization has traditionally relied on lactam, lactone and disulfide bond-forming reactions that aim at introducing conformational constraints into small peptide sequences. With the advent of ruthenium-catalyzed ring-closing metathesis and copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition, peptide chemists embraced transition metal catalysis as a powerful macrocyclization tool with relevant applications in chemical biological and peptide drug discovery. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the reactivity and methodological diversification of metal-catalyzed peptide macrocyclization as a special class of late-stage peptide derivatization method. We report the evolution from classic palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling approaches to more modern oxidative versions based on C-H activation, heteroatom alkylation/arylation and annulation processes, in which aspects such as chemoselectivity and diversity generation at the ring-closing moiety became dominant over the last years. The transit from early cycloadditions and alkyne couplings as ring-closing steps to very recent 3d metal-catalyzed macrocyclization methods is highlighted. Similarly, the new trends in decarboxylative radical macrocyclizations and the interplay between photoredox and transition metal catalysis are included. This review charts future perspectives in the field hoping to encourage further progress and applications, while bringing attention to the countless possibilities available by diversifying not only the metal, but also the reactivity modes and tactics to bring peptide functional groups together and produce structurally diverse macrocycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel G Rivera
- Laboratory for Organic & Microwave-Assisted Chemistry (LOMAC), Department of Chemistry, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium. and Center for Natural Product Research, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Havana, Zapata y G, Havana 10400, Cuba.
| | - Gerardo M Ojeda-Carralero
- Laboratory for Organic & Microwave-Assisted Chemistry (LOMAC), Department of Chemistry, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium. and Center for Natural Product Research, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Havana, Zapata y G, Havana 10400, Cuba.
| | - Leslie Reguera
- Center for Natural Product Research, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Havana, Zapata y G, Havana 10400, Cuba.
| | - Erik V Van der Eycken
- Laboratory for Organic & Microwave-Assisted Chemistry (LOMAC), Department of Chemistry, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium. and Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Miklukho-Maklaya Street 6, 117198 Moscow, Russia
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47
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Furukawa A, Schwochert J, Pye CR, Asano D, Edmondson QD, Turmon AC, Klein VG, Ono S, Okada O, Lokey RS. Drug-Like Properties in Macrocycles above MW 1000: Backbone Rigidity versus Side-Chain Lipophilicity. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:21571-21577. [PMID: 32789999 PMCID: PMC7719619 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202004550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Large macrocyclic peptides can achieve surprisingly high membrane permeability, although the properties that govern permeability in this chemical space are only beginning to come into focus. We generated two libraries of cyclic decapeptides with stable cross-β conformations, and found that peptoid substitutions within the β-turns of the macrocycle preserved the rigidity of the parent scaffold, whereas peptoid substitutions in the opposing β-strands led to "chameleonic" species that were rigid in nonpolar media but highly flexible in water. Both rigid and chameleonic compounds showed high permeability over a wide lipophilicity range, with peak permeabilities differing significantly depending on scaffold rigidity. Our findings indicate that modulating lipophilicity can be used to engineer favorable ADME properties into both rigid and flexible macrocyclic peptides, and that scaffold rigidity can be used to tune optimal lipophilicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Furukawa
- Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., 1-2-58, Hiromachi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-8710, Japan
| | - Joshua Schwochert
- Unnatural Products, Inc., 250 Natural Bridges Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA
| | - Cameron R. Pye
- Unnatural Products, Inc., 250 Natural Bridges Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA
| | - Daigo Asano
- Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., 1-2-58, Hiromachi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-8710, Japan
| | - Quinn D. Edmondson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - Alexandra C. Turmon
- Unnatural Products, Inc., 250 Natural Bridges Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA
| | - Victoria G. Klein
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 96064 USA
| | - Satoshi Ono
- Discovery Technology Laboratories, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Yokohama, 227-0033, Japan
| | - Okimasa Okada
- Discovery Technology Laboratories, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Yokohama, 227-0033, Japan
| | - R. Scott Lokey
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 96064 USA
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48
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Shin WH, Kumazawa K, Imai K, Hirokawa T, Kihara D. Current Challenges and Opportunities in Designing Protein-Protein Interaction Targeted Drugs. Adv Appl Bioinform Chem 2020; 13:11-25. [PMID: 33209039 PMCID: PMC7669531 DOI: 10.2147/aabc.s235542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been noticed that the efficiency of drug development has been decreasing in the past few decades. To overcome the situation, protein-protein interactions (PPIs) have been identified as new drug targets as early as 2000. PPIs are more abundant in human cells than single proteins and play numerous important roles in cellular processes including diseases. However, PPIs have very different physicochemical features from the conventional drug targets, which make targeting PPIs challenging. Therefore, as of now, only a small number of PPI inhibitors have been approved or progressed to a stage of clinical trial. In this article, we first overview previous works that analyzed differences between PPIs with PPI targeting ligands and conventional drugs with their binding pockets. Then, we constructed an up-to-date list of PPI targeting drugs that have been approved or are currently under clinical trial and have bound drug-target structures available. Using the dataset, we analyzed the PPIs and their ligands using several scores of druggability. Druggability scores showed that PPI sites and their drugs targeting PPIs are less druggable than conventional binding pockets and drugs, which also indicates that PPI drugs do not follow the conventional rules for drug design, such as Lipinski's rule of five. Our analyses suggest that developing a new rule would be beneficial for guiding PPI-drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woong-Hee Shin
- Department of Chemical Science Education, Sunchon National University, Suncheon57922, Republic of Korea
| | - Keiko Kumazawa
- Pharmaceutical Discovery Research Laboratories, Teijin Pharma Limited, Tokyo191-8512, Japan
| | - Kenichiro Imai
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tokyo135-0064, Japan
| | - Takatsugu Hirokawa
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tokyo135-0064, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kihara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN47906, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN47906, USA
- Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN47906, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Care, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH45229, USA
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49
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Bluntzer MTJ, O'Connell J, Baker TS, Michel J, Hulme AN. Designing stapled peptides to inhibit
protein‐protein
interactions: An analysis of successes in a rapidly changing field. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Julien Michel
- EaStChem School of Chemistry The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Alison N. Hulme
- EaStChem School of Chemistry The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
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Sindhikara D, Wagner M, Gkeka P, Güssregen S, Tiwari G, Hessler G, Yapici E, Li Z, Evers A. Automated Design of Macrocycles for Therapeutic Applications: From Small Molecules to Peptides and Proteins. J Med Chem 2020; 63:12100-12115. [PMID: 33017535 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Macrocycles and cyclic peptides are increasingly attractive therapeutic modalities as they often have improved affinity, are able to bind to extended protein surfaces, and otherwise have favorable properties. Macrocyclization of a known binder may stabilize its bioactive conformation and improve its metabolic stability, cell permeability, and in certain cases oral bioavailability. Herein, we present implementation and application of an approach that automatically generates, evaluates, and proposes cyclizations utilizing a library of well-established chemical reactions and reagents. Using the three-dimensional (3D) conformation of the linear molecule in complex with a target protein as the starting point, this approach identifies attachment points, generates linkers, evaluates their geometric compatibility, and ranks the resulting molecules with respect to their predicted conformational stability and interactions with the target protein. As we show here with prospective and retrospective case studies, this procedure can be applied for the macrocyclization of small molecules and peptides and even PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras (PROTACs) and proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Sindhikara
- Schrodinger, Inc., 120 West 45th Street, New York, New York 10036, United States
| | - Michael Wagner
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Industriepark Hoechst, 65926 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Paraskevi Gkeka
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi R&D, 1 Avenue Pierre Brossolette, 91385 Chilly-Mazarin, France
| | - Stefan Güssregen
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Industriepark Hoechst, 65926 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Garima Tiwari
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Industriepark Hoechst, 65926 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Gerhard Hessler
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Industriepark Hoechst, 65926 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Engin Yapici
- Schrodinger, Inc., 120 West 45th Street, New York, New York 10036, United States
| | - Ziyu Li
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Industriepark Hoechst, 65926 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andreas Evers
- Integrated Drug Discovery, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Industriepark Hoechst, 65926 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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