1
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Huynh NT, Ho TNT, Pham YND, Dang LH, Pham SH, Dang TT. Immunosuppressive Cyclotides: A Promising Approach for Treating Autoimmune Diseases. Protein J 2024; 43:159-170. [PMID: 38485875 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-024-10188-y] [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] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
The immune system maintains constant surveillance to prevent the infiltration of both endogenous and exogenous threats into host organisms. The process is regulated by effector immune cells that combat external pathogens and regulatory immune cells that inhibit excessive internal body inflammation, ultimately establishing a state of homeostasis within the body. Disruption to this process could lead to autoimmunity, which is often associated with the malfunction of both T cells and B cells with T cells playing a more major role. A number of therapeutic mediators for autoimmune diseases are available, from conventional disease-modifying drugs to biologic agents and small molecule inhibitors. Recently, ribosomally synthesized peptides, specifically cyclotides from plants are currently attracting more attention as potential autoimmune disease therapeutics due to their decreased toxicity compared to small molecules inhibitors as well as their remarkable stability against a number of factors. This review provides a concise overview of various cyclotides exhibiting immunomodulatory properties and their potential as therapeutic interventions for autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen Thai Huynh
- Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, 140 Le Trong Tan Street, Tay Thanh Ward, Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Thao N T Ho
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 1B TL29, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Yen N D Pham
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 1B TL29, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Le Hang Dang
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 1B TL29, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Son H Pham
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 1B TL29, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Tien T Dang
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 1B TL29, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
- Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, 100000, Vietnam.
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2
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Mazurkiewicz-Pisarek A, Baran J, Ciach T. Antimicrobial Peptides: Challenging Journey to the Pharmaceutical, Biomedical, and Cosmeceutical Use. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24109031. [PMID: 37240379 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24109031] [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: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), or host defence peptides, are short proteins in various life forms. Here we discuss AMPs, which may become a promising substitute or adjuvant in pharmaceutical, biomedical, and cosmeceutical uses. Their pharmacological potential has been investigated intensively, especially as antibacterial and antifungal drugs and as promising antiviral and anticancer agents. AMPs exhibit many properties, and some of these have attracted the attention of the cosmetic industry. AMPs are being developed as novel antibiotics to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens and as potential treatments for various diseases, including cancer, inflammatory disorders, and viral infections. In biomedicine, AMPs are being developed as wound-healing agents because they promote cell growth and tissue repair. The immunomodulatory effects of AMPs could be helpful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. In the cosmeceutical industry, AMPs are being investigated as potential ingredients in skincare products due to their antioxidant properties (anti-ageing effects) and antibacterial activity, which allows the killing of bacteria that contribute to acne and other skin conditions. The promising benefits of AMPs make them a thrilling area of research, and studies are underway to overcome obstacles and fully harness their therapeutic potential. This review presents the structure, mechanisms of action, possible applications, production methods, and market for AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Mazurkiewicz-Pisarek
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology, Poleczki 19, 02-822 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Baran
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology, Poleczki 19, 02-822 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Ciach
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology, Poleczki 19, 02-822 Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Warynskiego 1, 00-645 Warsaw, Poland
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3
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Ho TNT, Pham SH, Nguyen LTT, Nguyen HT, Nguyen LT, Dang TT. Insights into the synthesis strategies of plant-derived cyclotides. Amino Acids 2023:10.1007/s00726-023-03271-8. [PMID: 37142771 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-023-03271-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Cyclotides are plant peptides characterized with a head-to-tail cyclized backbone and three interlocking disulfide bonds, known as a cyclic cysteine knot. Despite the variations in cyclotides peptide sequences, this core structure is conserved, underlying their most useful feature: stability against thermal and chemical breakdown. Cyclotides are the only natural peptides known to date that are orally bioavailable and able to cross cell membranes. Cyclotides also display bioactivities that have been exploited and expanded to develop as potential therapeutic reagents for a wide range of conditions (e.g., HIV, inflammatory conditions, multiple sclerosis, etc.). As such, in vitro production of cyclotides is of the utmost importance since it could assist further research on this peptide class, specifically the structure-activity relationship and its mechanism of action. The information obtained could be utilized to assist drug development and optimization. Here, we discuss several strategies for the synthesis of cyclotides using both chemical and biological routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thao N T Ho
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 1B TL29, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
| | - Son H Pham
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 1B TL29, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
| | - Linh T T Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, 280 An Duong Vuong Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
| | - Ha T Nguyen
- National Key Laboratory of Polymer and Composite Materials, Department of Energy Materials, Faculty of Materials Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), 268 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
- Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
| | - Luan T Nguyen
- National Key Laboratory of Polymer and Composite Materials, Department of Energy Materials, Faculty of Materials Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), 268 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
- Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
| | - Tien T Dang
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 1B TL29, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.
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4
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Tian S, Durek T, Wang CK, Zdenek CN, Fry BG, Craik DJ, de Veer SJ. Engineering the Cyclization Loop of MCoTI-II Generates Targeted Cyclotides that Potently Inhibit Factor XIIa. J Med Chem 2022; 65:15698-15709. [PMID: 36383928 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Factor XIIa (FXIIa) is a promising target for developing new drugs that prevent thrombosis without causing bleeding complications. A native cyclotide (MCoTI-II) is gaining interest for engineering FXIIa-targeted anticoagulants as this peptide inhibits FXIIa but not other coagulation proteases. Here, we engineered the native biosynthetic cyclization loop of MCoTI-II (loop 6) to generate improved FXIIa inhibitors. Decreasing the loop length led to gains in potency up to 7.7-fold, with the most potent variant having five residues in loop 6 (Ki = 25 nM). We subsequently examined sequence changes within loop 6 and an adjacent loop, with substitutions at P4 and P2' producing a potent FXIIa inhibitor (Ki = 2 nM) that displayed more than 700-fold selectivity, was stable in human serum, and blocked the intrinsic coagulation pathway in human plasma. These findings demonstrate that engineering the biosynthetic cyclization loop can generate improved cyclotide variants, expanding their potential for drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sixin Tian
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Thomas Durek
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Conan K Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Christina N Zdenek
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Simon J de Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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5
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Jacob B, Vogelaar A, Cadenas E, Camarero JA. Using the Cyclotide Scaffold for Targeting Biomolecular Interactions in Drug Development. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27196430. [PMID: 36234971 PMCID: PMC9570680 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27196430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
This review provides an overview of the properties of cyclotides and their potential for developing novel peptide-based therapeutics. The selective disruption of protein–protein interactions remains challenging, as the interacting surfaces are relatively large and flat. However, highly constrained polypeptide-based molecular frameworks with cell-permeability properties, such as the cyclotide scaffold, have shown great promise for targeting those biomolecular interactions. The use of molecular techniques, such as epitope grafting and molecular evolution employing the cyclotide scaffold, has shown to be highly effective for selecting bioactive cyclotides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binu Jacob
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 9033, USA
| | - Alicia Vogelaar
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 9033, USA
| | - Enrique Cadenas
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 9033, USA
| | - Julio A. Camarero
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 9033, USA
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 9033, USA
- Correspondence:
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6
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Taghizadeh MS, Retzl B, Muratspahić E, Trenk C, Casanova E, Moghadam A, Afsharifar A, Niazi A, Gruber CW. Discovery of the cyclotide caripe 11 as a ligand of the cholecystokinin-2 receptor. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9215. [PMID: 35654807 PMCID: PMC9163038 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13142-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The cholecystokinin-2 receptor (CCK2R) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that is expressed in peripheral tissues and the central nervous system and constitutes a promising target for drug development in several diseases, such as gastrointestinal cancer. The search for ligands of this receptor over the past years mainly resulted in the discovery of a set of distinct synthetic small molecule chemicals. Here, we carried out a pharmacological screening of cyclotide-containing plant extracts using HEK293 cells transiently-expressing mouse CCK2R, and inositol phosphate (IP1) production as a readout. Our data demonstrated that cyclotide-enriched plant extracts from Oldenlandia affinis, Viola tricolor and Carapichea ipecacuanha activate the CCK2R as measured by the production of IP1. These findings prompted the isolation of a representative cyclotide, namely caripe 11 from C. ipecacuanha for detailed pharmacological analysis. Caripe 11 is a partial agonist of the CCK2R (Emax = 71%) with a moderate potency of 8.5 µM, in comparison to the endogenous full agonist cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8; EC50 = 11.5 nM). The partial agonism of caripe 11 is further characterized by an increase on basal activity (at low concentrations) and a dextral-shift of the potency of CCK-8 (at higher concentrations) following its co-incubation with the cyclotide. Therefore, cyclotides such as caripe 11 may be explored in the future for the design and development of cyclotide-based ligands or imaging probes targeting the CCK2R and related peptide GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Sadegh Taghizadeh
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Biotechnology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Bernhard Retzl
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Edin Muratspahić
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Trenk
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Emilio Casanova
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ali Moghadam
- Institute of Biotechnology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | | | - Ali Niazi
- Institute of Biotechnology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Christian W Gruber
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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7
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Li CY, Rehm FBH, Yap K, Zdenek CN, Harding MD, Fry BG, Durek T, Craik DJ, de Veer SJ. Cystine Knot Peptides with Tuneable Activity and Mechanism. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202200951. [PMID: 35224831 PMCID: PMC9539897 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202200951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Knottins are topologically complex peptides that are stabilised by a cystine knot and have exceptionally diverse functions, including protease inhibition. However, approaches for tuning their activity in situ are limited. Here, we demonstrate separate approaches for tuning the activity of knottin protease inhibitors using light or streptavidin. We show that the inhibitory activity and selectivity of an engineered knottin can be controlled with light by activating a second mode of action that switches the inhibitor ON against new targets. Guided by a knottin library screen, we also identify a position in the inhibitor's binding loop that permits insertion of a biotin tag without impairing activity. Using streptavidin, biotinylated knottins with nanomolar affinity can be switched OFF in activity assays, and the anticoagulant activity of a factor XIIa inhibitor can be rapidly switched OFF in human plasma. Our findings expand the scope of engineered knottins for precisely controlling protein function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Choi Yi Li
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Fabian B H Rehm
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Kuok Yap
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Christina N Zdenek
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Maxim D Harding
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Thomas Durek
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Simon J de Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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8
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Li CY, Rehm FBH, Yap K, Zdenek CN, Harding MD, Fry BG, Durek T, Craik DJ, Veer SJ. Cystine Knot Peptides with Tuneable Activity and Mechanism. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202200951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Choi Yi Li
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Fabian B. H. Rehm
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Kuok Yap
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Christina N. Zdenek
- Venom Evolution Lab School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Maxim D. Harding
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Bryan G. Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Thomas Durek
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Simon J. Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
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9
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Lyu RL, Joy S, Packianathan C, Laganowsky A, Burgess K. Small molecule peptidomimetic trypsin inhibitors: validation of an EKO binding mode, but with a twist. Org Biomol Chem 2022; 20:2075-2080. [PMID: 35225309 PMCID: PMC10365224 DOI: 10.1039/d1ob02127c] [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] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Examination of a series of naturally-occurring trypsin inhibitor proteins, led to identification of a set of three residues (which we call the "interface triplet") to be determinant of trypsin binding affinity, hence excellent templates for small molecule mimicry. Consequently, we attempted to use the Exploring Key Orientation (EKO) strategy developed in our lab to evaluate small molecules that mimic the interface triplet regions of natural trypsin inhibitors, and hence potentially might bind and inhibit the catalytic activity of trypsin. A bis-triazole scaffold ("TT-mer") was the most promising of the molecules evaluated in silico. Twelve such compounds were synthesized and assayed against trypsin, among which the best showed a Kd of 2.1 μM. X-ray crystallography revealed a high degree of matching between an illustrative TT-mer's actual binding mode and that of the mimics that overlaid the interface triplet in the crystal structure. Deviation of the third side chain from the PPI structure seems to be due to alleviation of an unfavorable dipole-dipole interaction in the small molecule's actual bound conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Liang Lyu
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A & M University, Box 30012, College Station, TX 77842-3012, USA.
| | - Shaon Joy
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A & M University, Box 30012, College Station, TX 77842-3012, USA.
| | - Charles Packianathan
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A & M University, Box 30012, College Station, TX 77842-3012, USA.
| | - Arthur Laganowsky
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A & M University, Box 30012, College Station, TX 77842-3012, USA.
| | - Kevin Burgess
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A & M University, Box 30012, College Station, TX 77842-3012, USA.
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10
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Liu W, de Veer SJ, Huang YH, Sengoku T, Okada C, Ogata K, Zdenek CN, Fry BG, Swedberg JE, Passioura T, Craik DJ, Suga H. An Ultrapotent and Selective Cyclic Peptide Inhibitor of Human β-Factor XIIa in a Cyclotide Scaffold. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:18481-18489. [PMID: 34723512 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c07574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cyclotides are plant-derived peptides with complex structures shaped by their head-to-tail cyclic backbone and cystine knot core. These structural features underpin the native bioactivities of cyclotides, as well as their beneficial properties as pharmaceutical leads, including high proteolytic stability and cell permeability. However, their inherent structural complexity presents a challenge for cyclotide engineering, particularly for accessing libraries of sufficient chemical diversity to design potent and selective cyclotide variants. Here, we report a strategy using mRNA display enabling us to select potent cyclotide-based FXIIa inhibitors from a library comprising more than 1012 members based on the cyclotide scaffold of Momordica cochinchinensis trypsin inhibitor-II (MCoTI-II). The most potent and selective inhibitor, cMCoFx1, has a pM inhibitory constant toward FXIIa with greater than three orders of magnitude selectivity over related serine proteases, realizing specific inhibition of the intrinsic coagulation pathway. The cocrystal structure of cMCoFx1 and FXIIa revealed interactions at several positions across the contact interface that conveyed high affinity binding, highlighting that such cyclotides are attractive cystine knot scaffolds for therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Simon J de Veer
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Yen-Hua Huang
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Toru Sengoku
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0004, Japan
| | - Chikako Okada
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Ogata
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0004, Japan
| | - Christina N Zdenek
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Joakim E Swedberg
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Toby Passioura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, School of Chemistry and Sydney Analytical, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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11
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Ganesan R, Dughbaj MA, Ramirez L, Beringer S, Aboye TL, Shekhtman A, Beringer PM, Camarero JA. Engineered Cyclotides with Potent Broad in Vitro and in Vivo Antimicrobial Activity. Chemistry 2021; 27:12702-12708. [PMID: 34159664 PMCID: PMC8410672 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202101438] [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: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The search for novel antimicrobial agents to combat microbial pathogens is intensifying in response to the rapid development of drug resistance to current antibiotic therapeutics. Respiratory failure and septicemia are the leading causes of mortality among hospitalized patients. Here, the development of a novel engineered cyclotide with effective broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against several ESKAPE bacterial strains and clinical isolates is reported. The most active antibacterial cyclotide was extremely stable in serum, showed little hemolytic activity, and provided protection in vivo in a murine model of P. aeruginosa peritonitis. These results highlight the potential of the cyclotide scaffold for the development of novel antimicrobial therapeutic leads for the treatment of bacteremia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajasekaran Ganesan
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Mansour A. Dughbaj
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Lisa Ramirez
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Steven Beringer
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Teshome L. Aboye
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Alexander Shekhtman
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Paul M. Beringer
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Julio A. Camarero
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90033, USA
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12
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Mishra M, Singh V, Tellis MB, Joshi RS, Singh S. Repurposing the McoTI-II Rigid Molecular Scaffold in to Inhibitor of 'Papain Superfamily' Cysteine Proteases. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 14:ph14010007. [PMID: 33374547 PMCID: PMC7822474 DOI: 10.3390/ph14010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Clan C1A or ‘papain superfamily’ cysteine proteases are key players in many important physiological processes and diseases in most living systems. Novel approaches towards the development of their inhibitors can open new avenues in translational medicine. Here, we report a novel design of a re-engineered chimera inhibitor Mco-cysteine protease inhibitor (CPI) to inhibit the activity of C1A cysteine proteases. This was accomplished by grafting the cystatin first hairpin loop conserved motif (QVVAG) onto loop 1 of the ultrastable cyclic peptide scaffold McoTI-II. The recombinantly expressed Mco-CPI protein was able to bind with micromolar affinity to papain and showed remarkable thermostability owing to the formation of multi-disulphide bonds. Using an in silico approach based on homology modelling, protein–protein docking, the calculation of the free-energy of binding, the mechanism of inhibition of Mco-CPI against representative C1A cysteine proteases (papain and cathepsin L) was validated. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulation of the Mco-CPI–papain complex validated the interaction as stable. To conclude, in this McoTI-II analogue, the specificity had been successfully redirected towards C1A cysteine proteases while retaining the moderate affinity. The outcomes of this study pave the way for further modifications of the Mco-CPI design for realizing its full potential in therapeutics. This study also demonstrates the relevance of ultrastable peptide-based scaffolds for the development of novel inhibitors via grafting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manasi Mishra
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Gautam Buddha Nagar 201314, India;
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (S.S.)
| | - Vigyasa Singh
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Gautam Buddha Nagar 201314, India;
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawahar Lal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Meenakshi B. Tellis
- Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India; (M.B.T.); (R.S.J.)
| | - Rakesh S. Joshi
- Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India; (M.B.T.); (R.S.J.)
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Shailja Singh
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Gautam Buddha Nagar 201314, India;
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawahar Lal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (S.S.)
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13
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Factor XII/XIIa inhibitors: Their discovery, development, and potential indications. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 208:112753. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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14
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González-Castro R, Gómez-Lim MA, Plisson F. Cysteine-Rich Peptides: Hyperstable Scaffolds for Protein Engineering. Chembiochem 2020; 22:961-973. [PMID: 33095969 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs) are small proteins of less than 100 amino acids in length characterized by the presence of disulfide bridges and common end-to-end macrocyclization. These properties confer hyperstability against high temperatures, salt concentration, serum presence, and protease degradation to CRPs. Moreover, their intercysteine domains (loops) are susceptible to residue hypervariability. CRPs have been successfully applied as stable scaffolds for molecular grafting, a protein engineering process in which cysteine-rich structures provide higher thermodynamic and metabolic stability to an epitope and acquire new biological function(s). This review describes the successes and limitations of seven cysteine-rich scaffolds, their bioactive epitopes, and the resulting grafted peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael González-Castro
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV) Unidad de Genómica Avanzada, Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio), Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México.,Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN Unidad Irapuato, Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México
| | - Miguel A Gómez-Lim
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN Unidad Irapuato, Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México
| | - Fabien Plisson
- CONACYT, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV) Unidad de Genómica Avanzada, Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio), Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México
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15
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Srivastava S, Dashora K, Ameta KL, Singh NP, El-Enshasy HA, Pagano MC, Hesham AEL, Sharma GD, Sharma M, Bhargava A. Cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides from plants: The future of antimicrobial therapy. Phytother Res 2020; 35:256-277. [PMID: 32940412 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.6823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
There has been a spurt in the spread of microbial resistance to antibiotics due to indiscriminate use of antimicrobial agents in human medicine, agriculture, and animal husbandry. It has been realized that conventional antibiotic therapy would be less effective in the coming decades and more emphasis should be given for the development of novel antiinfective therapies. Cysteine rich peptides (CRPs) are broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents that modulate the innate immune system of different life forms such as bacteria, protozoans, fungi, plants, insects, and animals. These are also expressed in several plant tissues in response to invasion by pathogens, and play a crucial role in the regulation of plant growth and development. The present work explores the importance of CRPs as potent antimicrobial agents, which can supplement and/or replace the conventional antibiotics. Different plant parts of diverse plant species showed the presence of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which had significant structural and functional diversity. The plant-derived AMPs exhibited potent activity toward a range of plant and animal pathogens, protozoans, insects, and even against cancer cells. The cysteine-rich AMPs have opened new avenues for the use of plants as biofactories for the production of antimicrobials and can be considered as promising antimicrobial drugs in biotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilpi Srivastava
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, Lucknow, India
| | - Kavya Dashora
- Centre for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Keshav Lalit Ameta
- Department of Chemistry, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Mody University of Science and Technology, Lakshmangarh, Rajasthan, India
| | | | - Hesham Ali El-Enshasy
- Institute of Bioproduct Development (IBD), School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai, Johor Bahru, Malaysia.,City of Scientific Research and Technology Applications (SRTA), New Burg Al Arab, Alexandria, Egypt
| | | | - Abd El-Latif Hesham
- Genetics Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | | | - Minaxi Sharma
- Department of Food Technology, Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, India
| | - Atul Bhargava
- Department of Botany, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, India
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16
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Abstract
This Review explores the class of plant-derived macrocyclic peptides called cyclotides. We include an account of their discovery, characterization, and distribution in the plant kingdom as well as a detailed analysis of their sequences and structures, biosynthesis and chemical synthesis, biological functions, and applications. These macrocyclic peptides are around 30 amino acids in size and are characterized by their head-to-tail cyclic backbone and cystine knot motif, which render them to be exceptionally stable, with resistance to thermal or enzymatic degradation. Routes to their chemical synthesis have been developed over the past two decades, and this capability has facilitated a wide range of mutagenesis and structure-activity relationship studies. In turn, these studies have both led to an increased understanding of their mechanisms of action as well as facilitated a range of applications in agriculture and medicine, as ecofriendly crop protection agents, and as drug leads or scaffolds for pharmaceutical design. Our overall objective in this Review is to provide readers with a comprehensive overview of cyclotides that we hope will stimulate further work on this fascinating family of peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon J de Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - Meng-Wei Kan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland 4072 , Australia
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17
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Hellinger R, Gruber CW. Peptide-based protease inhibitors from plants. Drug Discov Today 2019; 24:1877-1889. [PMID: 31170506 PMCID: PMC6753016 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2019.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Proteases have an important role in homeostasis, and dysregulation of protease function can lead to pathogenesis. Therefore, proteases are promising drug targets in cancer, inflammation, and neurodegenerative disease research. Although there are well-established pharmaceuticals on the market, drug development for proteases is challenging. This is often caused by the limited selectivity of currently available lead compounds. Proteinaceous plant protease inhibitors are a diverse family of (poly)peptides that are important to maintain physiological homeostasis and to serve the innate defense machinery of the plant. In this review, we provide an overview of the diversity of plant peptide- and protein-based protease inhibitors (PIs), provide examples of such compounds that target human proteases, and discuss opportunities for these molecules in protease drug discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Hellinger
- Center for Pharmacology and Physiology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstr. 17, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian W Gruber
- Center for Pharmacology and Physiology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstr. 17, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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18
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Chow HY, Zhang Y, Matheson E, Li X. Ligation Technologies for the Synthesis of Cyclic Peptides. Chem Rev 2019; 119:9971-10001. [PMID: 31318534 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic peptides have been attracting a lot of attention in recent decades, especially in the area of drug discovery, as more and more naturally occurring cyclic peptides with diverse biological activities have been discovered. Chemical synthesis of cyclic peptides is essential when studying their structure-activity relationships. Conventional peptide cyclization methods via direct coupling have inherent limitations, like the susceptibility to epimerization at the C-terminus, poor solubility of fully protected peptide precursors, and low yield caused by oligomerization. In this regard, chemoselective ligation-mediated cyclization methods have emerged as effective strategies for cyclic peptide synthesis. The toolbox for cyclic peptide synthesis has been expanded substantially in the past two decades, allowing more efficient synthesis of cyclic peptides with various scaffolds and modifications. This Review will explore different chemoselective ligation technologies used for cyclic peptide synthesis that generate both native and unnatural peptide linkages. The practical issues and limitations of different methods will be discussed. The advance in cyclic peptide synthesis will benefit the biological and medicinal study of cyclic peptides, an important class of macrocycles with potentials in numerous fields, notably in therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoi Yee Chow
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry , The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road , Hong Kong SAR , P. R. China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry , The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road , Hong Kong SAR , P. R. China
| | - Eilidh Matheson
- School of Chemistry , University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh EH8 9LE , United Kingdom
| | - Xuechen Li
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry , The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road , Hong Kong SAR , P. R. China.,Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts , Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology , Qingdao 266237 , P. R. China
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19
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Poth AG, Huang YH, Le TT, Kan MW, Craik DJ. Pharmacokinetic characterization of kalata B1 and related therapeutics built on the cyclotide scaffold. Int J Pharm 2019; 565:437-446. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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20
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Camarero JA, Campbell MJ. The Potential of the Cyclotide Scaffold for Drug Development. Biomedicines 2019; 7:biomedicines7020031. [PMID: 31010257 PMCID: PMC6631875 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines7020031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclotides are a novel class of micro-proteins (≈30-40 residues long) with a unique topology containing a head-to-tail cyclized backbone structure further stabilized by three disulfide bonds that form a cystine knot. This unique molecular framework makes them exceptionally stable to physical, chemical, and biological degradation compared to linear peptides of similar size. The cyclotides are also highly tolerant to sequence variability, aside from the conserved residues forming the cystine knot, and are orally bioavailable and able to cross cellular membranes to modulate intracellular protein-protein interactions (PPIs), both in vitro and in vivo. These unique properties make them ideal scaffolds for many biotechnological applications, including drug discovery. This review provides an overview of the properties of cyclotides and their potential for the development of novel peptide-based therapeutics. The selective disruption of PPIs still remains a very challenging task, as the interacting surfaces are relatively large and flat. The use of the cell-permeable highly constrained polypeptide molecular frameworks, such as the cyclotide scaffold, has shown great promise, as it provides unique pharmacological properties. The use of molecular techniques, such as epitope grafting, and molecular evolution have shown to be highly effective for the selection of bioactive cyclotides. However, despite successes in employing cyclotides to target PPIs, some of the challenges to move them into the clinic still remain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio A Camarero
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 9033, USA.
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 9033, USA.
| | - Maria Jose Campbell
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 9033, USA.
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21
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Du J, Chan LY, Poth AG, Craik DJ. Discovery and Characterization of Cyclic and Acyclic Trypsin Inhibitors from Momordica dioica. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2019; 82:293-300. [PMID: 30673219 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.8b00716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Momordica trypsin inhibitors (TIs) such as those isolated from the seeds of the gấc fruit, Momordica cochinchinensis (MCoTI-I and MCoTI-II), are widely used as scaffolds for drug design studies. To more effectively exploit these molecules in the development of therapeutics, there is a need for wider discovery of the natural sequence diversity among TIs from other species in the Momordica subfamily. Here we report the discovery of the encoding gene and six TIs from the seeds of the spiny gourd, Momordica dioica, four of which possess novel sequences (Modi 1, 3, 5, and 6) and two (Modi 2 and 4) of which are known peptides (TI-14, TI-17) previously identified in Momordica subangulata. Modi 6 is an acyclic peptide featuring a pyrrolidone carboxylic acid modification, whereas the remaining five TIs are cyclic. All Modi peptides display similar overall structures and trypsin inhibitory activities. No toxicity was observed for these peptides when tested against cancer and insect cells. All Modi peptides were exceptionally stable over 24 h in human serum, indicating a dual strategy to stabilize the peptides in nature, either head-to-tail cyclization or N-pyrolation, which suggests these peptides might be excellent candidates as scaffolds for epitope stabilization in drug design studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junqiao Du
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - Lai Yue Chan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - Aaron G Poth
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland 4072 , Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland 4072 , Australia
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22
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Using backbone-cyclized Cys-rich polypeptides as molecular scaffolds to target protein-protein interactions. Biochem J 2019; 476:67-83. [PMID: 30635453 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20180792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The use of disulfide-rich backbone-cyclized polypeptides, as molecular scaffolds to design a new generation of bioimaging tools and drugs that are potent and specific, and thus might have fewer side effects than traditional small-molecule drugs, is gaining increasing interest among the scientific and in the pharmaceutical industries. Highly constrained macrocyclic polypeptides are exceptionally more stable to chemical, thermal and biological degradation and show better biological activity when compared with their linear counterparts. Many of these relatively new scaffolds have been also found to be highly tolerant to sequence variability, aside from the conserved residues forming the disulfide bonds, able to cross cellular membranes and modulate intracellular protein-protein interactions both in vitro and in vivo These properties make them ideal tools for many biotechnological applications. The present study provides an overview of the new developments on the use of several disulfide-rich backbone-cyclized polypeptides, including cyclotides, θ-defensins and sunflower trypsin inhibitor peptides, in the development of novel bioimaging reagents and therapeutic leads.
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23
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Swedberg JE, Ghani HA, Harris JM, de Veer SJ, Craik DJ. Potent, Selective, and Cell-Penetrating Inhibitors of Kallikrein-Related Peptidase 4 Based on the Cyclic Peptide MCoTI-II. ACS Med Chem Lett 2018; 9:1258-1262. [PMID: 30613336 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.8b00422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (KLK4) is a serine protease that has putative intracellular and extracellular functions in prostate cancer progression. Here we show that MCoTI-II, a 34-amino acid cyclic peptide found in the seeds of red gac (Momordica cochinchinensis), is an inhibitor of KLK4. By grafting a preferred KLK4 cleavage sequence into MCoTI-II, we produced a highly potent KLK4 inhibitor (K i = 0.1 nM) that displayed 100,000-fold selectivity over related KLKs and the ability to penetrate cells. Additionally, by substituting positively charged noncontact residues in this compound, we produced a potent and selective KLK4 inhibitor that does not penetrate cells. The inhibitors were shown to be nontoxic to human cells and stable in human serum. These KLK4 inhibitors provide useful chemical tools to further define the role(s) of both intracellular and extracellular KLK4 in prostate cancer cell lines and disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joakim E. Swedberg
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Hafiza Abdul Ghani
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jonathan M. Harris
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia
| | - Simon J. de Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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24
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Designing macrocyclic disulfide-rich peptides for biotechnological applications. Nat Chem Biol 2018; 14:417-427. [DOI: 10.1038/s41589-018-0039-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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25
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Camarero JA. Cyclotides, a versatile ultrastable micro-protein scaffold for biotechnological applications. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2017; 27:5089-5099. [PMID: 29110985 PMCID: PMC5812341 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2017.10.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Revised: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Cyclotides are fascinating microproteins (≈30-40 residues long) with a unique head-to-tail cyclized backbone, stabilized by three disulfide bonds forming a cystine knot. This unique topology makes them exceptionally stable to chemical, thermal and biological degradation compared to other peptides of similar size. Cyclotides have been also found to be highly tolerant to sequence variability, aside from the conserved residues forming the cystine knot, able to cross cellular membranes and modulate intracellular protein-protein interactions both in vitro and in vivo. These properties make them ideal scaffolds for many biotechnological applications. This article provides and overview of the properties of cyclotides and their applications as molecular imaging agents and peptide-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio A Camarero
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9121, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9121, USA.
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26
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Abstract
Cyclotides are globular microproteins with a unique head-to-tail cyclized backbone, stabilized by three disulfide bonds forming a cystine knot. This unique circular backbone topology and knotted arrangement of three disulfide bonds makes them exceptionally stable to chemical, thermal, and biological degradation compared to other peptides of similar size. In addition, cyclotides have been shown to be highly tolerant to sequence variability, aside from the conserved residues forming the cystine knot. Cyclotides can also cross cellular membranes and are able to modulate intracellular protein-protein interactions, both in vitro and in vivo. All of these features make cyclotides highly promising as leads or frameworks for the design of peptide-based diagnostic and therapeutic tools. This article provides an overview on cyclotides and their applications as molecular imaging agents and peptide-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Gould
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9121, USA
| | - Julio A. Camarero
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9121, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9121, USA
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27
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Abstract
Among the various molecules that plants produce for defense against pests and pathogens, cyclotides stand out as exceptionally stable and structurally unique. These ribosomally synthesized peptides are around 30 amino acids in size, and are stabilized by a head-to-tail cyclic peptide backbone and three disulfide bonds that form a cystine knot. They occur in certain plants of the Rubiaceae, Violaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, and Solanaceae families, with an individual plant producing up to hundreds of different cyclotides. Aside from being exploitable as crop protection agents based on their natural pesticidal activities, cyclotides are amenable to repurposing by chemists for use as drug leads or as tools in chemical biology. Their macrocyclic peptide backbone and knotted arrangement of three disulfide bonds engenders cyclotides with resistance to proteolytic degradation, high temperatures, and chemical chaotropes. Furthermore, their small size makes them accessible to synthesis using solid-phase peptide chemistry and so non-natural cyclotides can be designed and synthesized for a variety of applications. Our focus here is on cyclotides as tools in chemical biology, and there are four main areas of application that have appeared in the literature so far: (i) cyclotides as probes of membrane binding; (ii) cyclotides as probes of biosynthetic pathways for peptide cyclization; (iii) cyclotides as probes of protease specificity and function; and (iv) cyclotides as probes of receptor binding and specificity, with the potential for them to be developed as drug leads. The main methods used in these studies include solid-phase peptide chemistry for synthesis and NMR spectroscopy for structural characterization, as well as a wide range of biochemical and biophysical techniques for probing intermolecular interactions. In addition, cyclotides have been examined in diverse biological assays, ranging from enzyme inhibition to cell penetration, intracellular targeting and cytotoxicity. The main finding to have emerged from studies over the past decade is that cyclotides are exceptionally stable under a variety of conditions (in assay buffers, biological fluids, membranes, and recombinant expression systems). Furthermore, they are structurally very well-defined and amenable to sequence substitutions that can introduce new desired biological activities, generally without compromising their exceptional stability. Both features contribute to their use as peptide-based frameworks in drug design. Finally, they occupy a size niche between traditional small-molecule drugs (<500 Da in molecular weight) and protein-based biologics (>5000 Da) and thus can probe receptors, membranes, and protein-protein interactions in different ways to what is possible with either small molecules or biologics. Overall, cyclotides are an exciting class of peptides that have great potential as ultrastable chemical biology probes in a variety of applications. They have the advantage of specificity (typical of proteins) combined with the synthetic accessibility of small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon J. de Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Joachim Weidmann
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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28
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Cyclotides as drug design scaffolds. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2017; 38:8-16. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2017.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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29
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Abdul Ghani H, Henriques ST, Huang YH, Swedberg JE, Schroeder CI, Craik DJ. Structural and functional characterization of chimeric cyclotides from the Möbius and trypsin inhibitor subfamilies. Biopolymers 2017; 108. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.22927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hafiza Abdul Ghani
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland; Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Sónia Troeira Henriques
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland; Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Yen-Hua Huang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland; Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Joakim E. Swedberg
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland; Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Christina I. Schroeder
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland; Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland; Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
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30
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Qu H, Smithies BJ, Durek T, Craik DJ. Synthesis and Protein Engineering Applications of Cyclotides. Aust J Chem 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/ch16589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cyclotides are a group of plant-derived peptides with a head-to-tail cyclized backbone that is stabilized by three knotted disulfide bonds. Their exceptional stability and tolerance for residue substitutions have led to interest in their application as drug design scaffolds. To date, chemical synthesis has been the dominant methodology for producing cyclotides and their analogues. Native chemical ligation is the most common strategy to generate the cyclic backbone and has been highly successful at producing a wide range of cyclotides for studies of structure–activity relationships. Both this and other chemical approaches require a specific linker at the C-terminus and typically involve a non-directed folding (disulfide oxidation) regimen, which can sometimes be a limiting factor in final yields. Following the recent discovery of enzymes involved in peptide cyclization in planta, site-specific and highly efficient enzymatic ligations have been used for synthetic cyclotide backbone cyclization. In this review, chemical synthesis strategies and approaches involving cyclization via enzymes for the production of cyclotides are described.
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Mahatmanto T. Review seed biopharmaceutical cyclic peptides: From discovery to applications. Biopolymers 2016; 104:804-14. [PMID: 26385189 DOI: 10.1002/bip.22741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Revised: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Mini-proteins (or peptides) with disulfide bond/s and a cyclic backbone offer exciting opportunities for applications in medicine, as these ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides are exceptionally stable and amenable to grafting epitopes with desirable activities. Here I discuss important aspects of the discovery and applications of disulfide-bonded cyclic peptides from seeds, i.e., the trypsin inhibitor cyclotides and the preproalbumin with sunflower trypsin inhibitor-derived peptides, focusing on bioanalytical methods for and insights generated from their discovery as well as their potential use as engineering scaffolds for peptide-based drug design. The recent discovery of their precursors and processing enzymes could potentially enable in planta production of designer disulfide-bonded cyclic peptides, preferably in edible seeds, and address the demand for new biopharmaceutical peptides in a cost-effective manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tunjung Mahatmanto
- Department of Agricultural Product Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Brawijaya University, Malang, East Java, 65145, Indonesia
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32
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Kuznetsova SS, Kolesanova EF, Talanova AV, Veselovsky AV. [Prospects for the design of new therapeutically significant protease inhibitors based on knottins and sunflower seed trypsin inhibitor (SFTI 1)]. BIOMEDIT︠S︡INSKAI︠A︡ KHIMII︠A︡ 2016; 62:353-68. [PMID: 27562989 DOI: 10.18097/pbmc20166204353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Plant seed knottins, mainly from the Cucurbitacea family, and sunflower seed trypsin inhibitor (SFTI 1) are the most low-molecular canonical peptide inhibitors of serine proteases. High efficiency of inhibition of various serine proteases, structure rigidity together with the possibility of limited variations of amino acid sequences, high chemical stability, lack of toxic properties, opportunity of production by either chemical synthesis or use of heterologous expression systems make these inhibitors attractive templates for design of new compounds for regulation of therapeutically significant serine protease activities. Hence the design of such compounds represents a prospective research field. The review considers structural characteristics of these inhibitors, their properties, methods of preparation and design of new analogs. Examples of successful employment of natural serine protease inhibitors belonging to knottin family and SFTI 1 as templates for the design of highly specific inhibitors of certain proteases are given.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - A V Talanova
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow, Russia; Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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33
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Tsai YF, Yang SC, Hwang TL. Formyl peptide receptor modulators: a patent review and potential applications for inflammatory diseases (2012-2015). Expert Opin Ther Pat 2016; 26:1139-1156. [PMID: 27454150 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2016.1216546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The activation of leukocytes and the subsequent immune cascade play an essential role in sterile and infectious inflammation. Dysregulation of these immune responses or excess leukocyte activation can induce tissue damage, organ dysfunction and mortality. Formyl peptide receptors (FPRs) are functionally diverse pattern recognition receptors responsible for recognizing different endogenous damage-associated molecular patterns or exogenous pathogen-associated molecular patterns. FPRs mediate leukocyte activation during inflammation. FPR1 antagonists and FPR2 agonists have demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory effects based on in vitro and in vivo studies. An increasing number of synthesized compounds targeting FPRs, especially potential FPR1 antagonists and FPR2 agonists, have been disclosed in patents. Areas covered: This article summarizes the current pharmacology patents related to FPR family modulators and their therapeutic indications based on a review of patent applications disclosed between 2012 and 2015. Expert opinion: In this review, FPR1 modulators comprise β-1,3-glucan synthase inhibitors containing an FPR ligand moiety, template-fixed peptidomimetics, cyclosporin H, and dipeptide derivatives. FPR2 modulators include phenylurea, bridged spiro[2.4]heptane ester, naphthalene, aminotriazole, polycyclic pyrrolidine-2,5-dione, imidazolidine-2,4-dione, (2-ureidoacetamido)alkyl, amide, oxazolyl-methylether, oxazole, thiazole, and crystalline potassium salt derivatives. These compounds have potential applications for human conditions such as inflammatory lung diseases, ischemia-reperfusion injury, sepsis, inflammatory bowel disease, and wound healing. FPRs are emerging as important targets for treating leukocyte-dominant inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Fong Tsai
- a Graduate Institute of Natural Products, School of Traditional Medicine, College of Medicine , Chang Gung University , Taoyuan , Taiwan.,b Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine , Chang Gung University , Taoyuan , Taiwan.,c Department of Anesthesiology , Chang Gung Memorial Hospital , Taoyuan , Taiwan
| | - Shun-Chin Yang
- d Department of Anesthesiology , Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University , Taipei , Taiwan.,e Division of Natural Products, Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine , Chang Gung University , Taoyuan , Taiwan
| | - Tsong-Long Hwang
- a Graduate Institute of Natural Products, School of Traditional Medicine, College of Medicine , Chang Gung University , Taoyuan , Taiwan.,c Department of Anesthesiology , Chang Gung Memorial Hospital , Taoyuan , Taiwan.,e Division of Natural Products, Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine , Chang Gung University , Taoyuan , Taiwan.,f Chinese Herbal Medicine Research Team, Healthy Aging Research Centre , Chang Gung University , Taoyuan , Taiwan.,g Research Center for Industry of Human Ecology and Graduate Institute of Health Industry Technology , Chang Gung University of Science and Technology , Taoyuan , Taiwan
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Weidmann J, Craik DJ. Discovery, structure, function, and applications of cyclotides: circular proteins from plants. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2016; 67:4801-12. [PMID: 27222514 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Cyclotides are plant-derived cyclic peptides that have a head-to-tail cyclic backbone and three conserved disulphide bonds that form a cyclic cystine knot motif. They occur in plants from the Violaceae, Rubiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, and Solanaceae families, typically with 10-100 cyclotides in a given plant species, in a wide range of tissues, including flowers, leaves, stems, and roots. Some cyclotides are expressed in large amounts (up to 1g kg(-1) wet plant weight) and their natural function appears to be to protect plants from pests or pathogens. This article provides a brief overview of their discovery, distribution in plants, and applications. In particular, their exceptional stability has led to their use as peptide-based scaffolds in drug design applications. They also have potential as natural 'ecofriendly' insecticides, and as protein engineering frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Weidmann
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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35
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Swedberg JE, Mahatmanto T, Abdul Ghani H, de Veer SJ, Schroeder CI, Harris JM, Craik DJ. Substrate-Guided Design of Selective FXIIa Inhibitors Based on the Plant-Derived Momordica cochinchinensis Trypsin Inhibitor-II (MCoTI-II) Scaffold. J Med Chem 2016; 59:7287-92. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b00557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joakim E. Swedberg
- Institute
for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Tunjung Mahatmanto
- Institute
for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Hafiza Abdul Ghani
- Institute
for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Simon J. de Veer
- Institute
of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane Queensland 4059, Australia
| | - Christina I. Schroeder
- Institute
for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Jonathan M. Harris
- Institute
of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane Queensland 4059, Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute
for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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36
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Grosse-Holz FM, van der Hoorn RAL. Juggling jobs: roles and mechanisms of multifunctional protease inhibitors in plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 210:794-807. [PMID: 26800491 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Multifunctional protease inhibitors juggle jobs by targeting different enzymes and thereby often controlling more than one biological process. Here, we discuss the biological functions, mechanisms and evolution of three types of multifunctional protease inhibitors in plants. The first type is double-headed inhibitors, which feature two inhibitory sites targeting proteases with different specificities (e.g. Bowman-Birk inhibitors) or even different hydrolases (e.g. α-amylase/protease inhibitors preventing both early germination and seed predation). The second type consists of multidomain inhibitors which evolved by intragenic duplication and are released by processing (e.g. multicystatins and potato inhibitor II, implicated in tuber dormancy and defence, respectively). The third type consists of promiscuous inhibitory folds which resemble mouse traps that can inhibit different proteases cleaving the bait they offer (e.g. serpins, regulating cell death, and α-macroglobulins). Understanding how multifunctional inhibitors juggle biological jobs increases our knowledge of the connections between the networks they regulate. These examples show that multifunctionality evolved independently from a remarkable diversity of molecular mechanisms that can be exploited for crop improvement and provide concepts for protein design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friederike M Grosse-Holz
- Plant Chemetics Laboratory, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Renier A L van der Hoorn
- Plant Chemetics Laboratory, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
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37
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Poth AG, Chan LY, Craik DJ. Cyclotides as grafting frameworks for protein engineering and drug design applications. Biopolymers 2016; 100:480-91. [PMID: 23893608 DOI: 10.1002/bip.22284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2013] [Revised: 04/30/2013] [Accepted: 05/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Cyclotides are a family of naturally occurring backbone-cyclized macrocyclic mini-proteins from plants that have a knotted trio of intramolecular disulfide bonds. Their structural features imbue cyclotides with extraordinary stability against degradation at elevated temperatures or in the presence of proteolytic enzymes. The plasticity of their intracysteine loop sequences is exemplified by the more than 250 natural cyclotides sequenced to date, and this tolerance to sequence variation, along with their diverse bioactivities, underpins the suitability of the cyclic cystine knot motif as a valuable drug design scaffold and research tool for protein engineering studies. Here, we review the recent literature on applications of cyclotides for the stabilization of peptide epitopes and related protein engineering studies. Possible future directions in this field are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron G Poth
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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38
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Inhibition of tau aggregation using a naturally-occurring cyclic peptide scaffold. Eur J Med Chem 2016; 109:342-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 01/06/2016] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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39
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D’Souza C, Henriques ST, Wang CK, Cheneval O, Chan LY, Bokil NJ, Sweet MJ, Craik DJ. Using the MCoTI-II Cyclotide Scaffold To Design a Stable Cyclic Peptide Antagonist of SET, a Protein Overexpressed in Human Cancer. Biochemistry 2016; 55:396-405. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.5b00529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte D’Souza
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland Australia, 4072
| | - Sónia Troeira Henriques
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland Australia, 4072
| | - Conan K. Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland Australia, 4072
| | - Olivier Cheneval
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland Australia, 4072
| | - Lai Yue Chan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland Australia, 4072
| | - Nilesh J. Bokil
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland Australia, 4072
| | - Matthew J. Sweet
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland Australia, 4072
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland Australia, 4072
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40
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Synthetic Cystine-Knot Miniproteins - Valuable Scaffolds for Polypeptide Engineering. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 917:121-44. [PMID: 27236555 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-32805-8_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Peptides with the cystine-knot architecture, often termed knottins, are promising scaffolds for biomolecular engineering. These unique molecules combine diverse bioactivities with excellent structural, thermal, and proteolytical stability. Being different in the composition and structure of their amino acid backbone, knottins share the same core element, namely cystine knot, which is built by six cysteine residues forming three disulfides upon oxidative folding. This motif ensures a notably rigid framework that highly tolerates both rational and combinatorial changes in the primary structure. Being accessible through recombinant production and total chemical synthesis, cystine-knot miniproteins can be endowed with novel bioactivities by variation of surface-exposed loops and incorporation of non-natural elements within their non-conserved regions towards the generation of tailor-made peptidic compounds. In this chapter the topology of cystine-knot peptides, their synthesis and applications for diagnostics and therapy is discussed.
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Akcan M, Clark RJ, Daly NL, Conibear AC, de Faoite A, Heghinian MD, Sahil T, Adams DJ, Marí F, Craik DJ. Transforming conotoxins into cyclotides: Backbone cyclization of P-superfamily conotoxins. Biopolymers 2015; 104:682-92. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.22699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Muharrem Akcan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience; The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Richard J. Clark
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience; The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Norelle L. Daly
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience; The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Anne C. Conibear
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience; The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Andrew de Faoite
- Health Innovations Research Institute; RMIT University; Bundoora VIC 3083 Australia
| | - Mari D. Heghinian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Florida Atlantic University; FL 33431 USA
| | - Talwar Sahil
- Queensland Brain Institute; The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
| | - David J. Adams
- Health Innovations Research Institute; RMIT University; Bundoora VIC 3083 Australia
| | - Frank Marí
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Florida Atlantic University; FL 33431 USA
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience; The University of Queensland; Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia
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42
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Sangphukieo A, Nawae W, Laomettachit T, Supasitthimethee U, Ruengjitchatchawalya M. Computational Design of Hypothetical New Peptides Based on a Cyclotide Scaffold as HIV gp120 Inhibitor. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139562. [PMID: 26517259 PMCID: PMC4627658 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclotides are a family of triple disulfide cyclic peptides with exceptional resistance to thermal/chemical denaturation and enzymatic degradation. Several cyclotides have been shown to possess anti-HIV activity, including kalata B1 (KB1). However, the use of cyclotides as anti-HIV therapies remains limited due to the high toxicity in normal cells. Therefore, grafting anti-HIV epitopes onto a cyclotide might be a promising approach for reducing toxicity and simultaneously improving anti-HIV activity. Viral envelope glycoprotein gp120 is required for entry of HIV into CD4+ T cells. However, due to a high degree of variability and physical shielding, the design of drugs targeting gp120 remains challenging. We created a computational protocol in which molecular modeling techniques were combined with a genetic algorithm (GA) to automate the design of new cyclotides with improved binding to HIV gp120. We found that the group of modified cyclotides has better binding scores (23.1%) compared to the KB1. By using molecular dynamic (MD) simulation as a post filter for the final candidates, we identified two novel cyclotides, GA763 and GA190, which exhibited better interaction energies (36.6% and 22.8%, respectively) when binding to gp120 compared to KB1. This computational design represents an alternative tool for modifying peptides, including cyclotides and other stable peptides, as therapeutic agents before the synthesis process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apiwat Sangphukieo
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bang Khun Thian, Bangkok, 10150, Thailand
| | - Wanapinun Nawae
- Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute, KMUTT (Bang Khun Thian), Bangkok, 10150, Thailand
| | - Teeraphan Laomettachit
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bang Khun Thian, Bangkok, 10150, Thailand
| | | | - Marasri Ruengjitchatchawalya
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bang Khun Thian, Bangkok, 10150, Thailand
- Biotechnology program, School of Bioresources and Technology, KMUTT (Bang Khun Thian), Bangkok, 10150, Thailand
- * E-mail:
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Cyclic thrombospondin-1 mimetics: grafting of a thrombospondin sequence into circular disulfide-rich frameworks to inhibit endothelial cell migration. Biosci Rep 2015; 35:BSR20150210. [PMID: 26464514 PMCID: PMC4660582 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20150210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The findings suggest re-engineered cyclic TSP-1 mimetics are non-toxic, highly stable, and possess potent anti-angiogenesis activity without altering the native fold of the cyclic frameworks. This provides an alternative approach for cancer drug development particularly in the thrombospondin field. Tumour formation is dependent on nutrient and oxygen supply from adjacent blood vessels. Angiogenesis inhibitors can play a vital role in controlling blood vessel formation and consequently tumour progression by inhibiting endothelial cell proliferation, sprouting and migration. The primary aim of the present study was to design cyclic thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) mimetics using disulfide-rich frameworks for anti-angiogenesis therapies and to determine whether these peptides have better potency than the linear parent peptide. A short anti-angiogenic heptapeptide fragment from TSP-1 (GVITRIR) was incorporated into two cyclic disulfide-rich frameworks, namely MCoTI-II (Momordica cochinchinensis trypsin inhibitor-II) and SFTI-1 (sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1). The cyclic peptides were chemically synthesized and folded in oxidation buffers, before being tested in a series of in vitro evaluations. Incorporation of the bioactive heptapeptide fragment into the cyclic frameworks resulted in peptides that inhibited microvascular endothelial cell migration, and had no toxicity against normal primary human endothelial cells or cancer cells. Importantly, all of the designed cyclic TSP-1 mimetics were far more stable than the linear heptapeptide in human serum. The present study has demonstrated a novel approach to stabilize the active region of TSP-1. The anti-angiogenic activity of the native TSP-1 active fragment was maintained in the new TSP-1 mimetics and the results provide a new chemical approach for the design of TSP-1 mimetics.
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44
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Tsai YF, Hwang TL. Neutrophil elastase inhibitors: a patent review and potential applications for inflammatory lung diseases (2010 - 2014). Expert Opin Ther Pat 2015; 25:1145-58. [PMID: 26118988 DOI: 10.1517/13543776.2015.1061998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The proteolytic activity of neutrophil elastase (NE) not only destroys pathogens but also degrades host matrix tissues by generating a localized protease-antiprotease imbalance. In humans, NE is well known to be involved in various acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, asthma, acute lung injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome and cystic fibrosis. The regulation of NE activity is thought to represent a promising therapeutic approach, and NE is considered as an important target for the development of novel selective inhibitors to treat these diseases. AREAS COVERED This article summarizes and analyzes patents on NE inhibitors and their therapeutic potential based on a review of patent applications disclosed between 2010 and 2014. EXPERT OPINION According to this review of recent NE inhibitor patents, all of the disclosed inhibitors can be classified into peptide- and non-peptide-based groups. The non-peptide NE inhibitors include heterocyclics, uracil derivatives and deuterium oxide. Among the heterocyclic analogs, derivatives of pyrimidinones, tetrahydropyrrolopyrimidinediones, pyrazinones, benzoxazinones and hypersulfated disaccharides were introduced. The literature has increasingly implicated NE in the pathogenesis of various diseases, of which inflammatory destructive lung diseases remain a major concern. However, only a few agents have been validated for therapeutic use in clinical settings to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Fong Tsai
- a 1 Chang Gung University, Graduate Institute of Natural Products, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine , Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan.,b 2 Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology , Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Tsong-Long Hwang
- a 1 Chang Gung University, Graduate Institute of Natural Products, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine , Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan.,c 3 Chang Gung University, Healthy Aging Research Center, Chinese Herbal Medicine Research Team , Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan.,d 4 Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Department of Cosmetic Science and Research Center for Industry of Human Ecology , Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan.,e 5 Chang Gung University, Graduate Institute of Natural Products, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine , Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan +88 6 3211 8506 ; +88 6 3211 8506 ;
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45
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Hellinger R, Koehbach J, Puigpinós A, Clark RJ, Tarragó T, Giralt E, Gruber CW. Inhibition of Human Prolyl Oligopeptidase Activity by the Cyclotide Psysol 2 Isolated from Psychotria solitudinum. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2015; 78:1073-82. [PMID: 25894999 PMCID: PMC4444998 DOI: 10.1021/np501061t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Cyclotides are head-to-tail cyclized peptides comprising a stabilizing cystine-knot motif. To date, they are well known for their diverse bioactivities such as anti-HIV and immunosuppressive properties. Yet little is known about specific molecular mechanisms, in particular the interaction of cyclotides with cellular protein targets. Native and synthetic cyclotide-like peptides from Momordica plants are potent and selective inhibitors of different serine-type proteinases such as trypsin, chymotrypsin, matriptase, and tryptase-beta. This study describes the bioactivity-guided isolation of a cyclotide from Psychotria solitudinum as an inhibitor of another serine-type protease, namely, the human prolyl oligopeptidase (POP). Analysis of the inhibitory potency of Psychotria extracts and subsequent fractionation by liquid chromatography yielded the isolated peptide psysol 2 (1), which exhibited an IC50 of 25 μM. In addition the prototypical cyclotide kalata B1 inhibited POP activity with an IC50 of 5.6 μM. The inhibitory activity appeared to be selective for POP, since neither psysol 2 nor kalata B1 were able to inhibit the proteolytic activity of trypsin or chymotrypsin. The enzyme POP is well known for its role in memory and learning processes, and it is currently being considered as a promising therapeutic target for the cognitive deficits associated with several psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, such as schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease. In the context of discovery and development of POP inhibitors with beneficial ADME properties, cyclotides may be suitable starting points considering their stability in biological fluids and possible oral bioavailability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Hellinger
- Center
for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical
University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstrasse 17, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Koehbach
- Center
for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical
University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstrasse 17, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Albert Puigpinós
- Institute
for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Richard J. Clark
- School
of Biomedical Sciences, The University of
Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Teresa Tarragó
- Institute
for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ernest Giralt
- Institute
for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, University of Barcelona
(UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Christian W. Gruber
- Center
for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical
University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstrasse 17, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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46
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Li Y, Bi T, Camarero JA. Chemical and biological production of cyclotides. ADVANCES IN BOTANICAL RESEARCH 2015; 76:271-303. [PMID: 27064329 PMCID: PMC4822716 DOI: 10.1016/bs.abr.2015.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Cyclotides are fascinating naturally occurring micro-proteins (≈30 residues long) present in several plant families, and display various biological properties such as protease inhibitory, anti-microbial, insecticidal, cytotoxic, anti-HIV and hormone-like activities. Cyclotides share a unique head-to-tail circular knotted topology of three disulfide bridges, with one disulfide penetrating through a macrocycle formed by the two other disulfides and interconnecting peptide backbones, forming what is called a cystine knot topology. This cyclic cystine knot (CCK) framework gives the cyclotides exceptional rigidity, resistance to thermal and chemical denaturation, and enzymatic stability against degradation. Interestingly, cyclotides have been shown to be orally bioavailable, and other cyclotides have been shown to cross the cell membranes. Moreover, recent reports have also shown that engineered cyclotides can be efficiently used to target extracellular and intracellular protein-protein interactions, therefore making cyclotides ideal tools for drug development to selectively target protein-protein interactions. In this work we will review all the available methods for production of these interesting proteins using chemical or biological methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilong Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Tao Bi
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Julio A. Camarero
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
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Jiang QQ, Sicking W, Ehlers M, Schmuck C. Discovery of potent inhibitors of human β-tryptase from pre-equilibrated dynamic combinatorial libraries. Chem Sci 2014; 6:1792-1800. [PMID: 29163876 PMCID: PMC5644118 DOI: 10.1039/c4sc02943g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pre-equilibrated combinatorial libraries based on multivalent peptide acyl hydrazones were used to find potent inhibitors of β-tryptase. The best inhibitors bind to the protein surface, and inhibit β-tryptase with nanomolar affinity (Kica. 10 nM) and high selectivity in a reversible and non-competitive way.
Pre-equilibrated dynamic combinatorial libraries based on acyl hydrazone interchange of peptide-derived hydrazides and di- and tri-aldehydes have been used to discover potent inhibitors with nanomolar affinities for β-tryptase. To identify potent inhibitors the activity of the full library containing 95 members was compared with those of sub-libraries in which individual building blocks were missing. The most active library members contain a rigid central aromatic scaffold with three cationic peptide arms. The arms of the best inhibitors also contained a tailor-made GCP oxoanion binding motif attached to a lysine side chain. The most potent tri-armed hydrazones with peptide arms GKWR or GKWK(GCP) were shown to inhibit β-tryptase (Kica. 10–20 nM) reversibly, non-competitively and selectively (compared to related serine proteases, e.g. trypsin and chymotrypsin), most likely by binding to the protein surface, also in agreement with molecular modelling calculations. These new inhibitors are one order of magnitude more efficient than related tetravalent inhibitors obtained from previous work on a split-mix-combinatorial library and were identified with significantly less effort, demonstrating the usefulness of this approach for the identification of enzyme inhibitors in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian-Qian Jiang
- Institut für Organische Chemie , Universität Duisburg-Essen , Universitätsstraße 7 , 45141 Essen , Germany .
| | - Wilhelm Sicking
- Institut für Organische Chemie , Universität Duisburg-Essen , Universitätsstraße 7 , 45141 Essen , Germany .
| | - Martin Ehlers
- Institut für Organische Chemie , Universität Duisburg-Essen , Universitätsstraße 7 , 45141 Essen , Germany .
| | - Carsten Schmuck
- Institut für Organische Chemie , Universität Duisburg-Essen , Universitätsstraße 7 , 45141 Essen , Germany .
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Nawae W, Hannongbua S, Ruengjitchatchawalya M. Dynamic scenario of membrane binding process of kalata b1. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114473. [PMID: 25473840 PMCID: PMC4256454 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 11/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Kalata B1 (kB1), a cyclotide that has been used in medical applications, displays cytotoxicity related to membrane binding and oligomerization. Our molecular dynamics simulation results demonstrate that Trp19 in loop 5 of both monomeric and tetrameric kB1 is a key residue for initial anchoring in the membrane binding process. This residue also facilitates the formation of kB1 tetramers. Additionally, we elucidate that kB1 preferentially binds to the membrane interfacial zone and is unable to penetrate into the membrane. In particular, significant roles of amino acid residues in loop 5 and loop 6 on the localization of kB1 to this membrane-water interface zone are found. This study reveals the roles of amino acid residues in the bioactivity of kB1, which is information that can be useful for designing new therapeutic cyclotides with less toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanapinun Nawae
- Biological Engineering Program, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Thung Khru, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Supa Hannongbua
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Marasri Ruengjitchatchawalya
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology program, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (Bang Khun Thian), Bang Khun Thian, Bangkok, Thailand; Biotechnology Program, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (Bang Khun Thian), Bang Khun Thian, Bangkok, Thailand
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Structural parameters modulating the cellular uptake of disulfide-rich cyclic cell-penetrating peptides: MCoTI-II and SFTI-1. Eur J Med Chem 2014; 88:10-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2014.06.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Revised: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 06/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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Mahatmanto T, Mylne JS, Poth AG, Swedberg JE, Kaas Q, Schaefer H, Craik DJ. The evolution of Momordica cyclic peptides. Mol Biol Evol 2014; 32:392-405. [PMID: 25376175 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msu307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic proteins have evolved for millions of years across all kingdoms of life to confer structural stability over their acyclic counterparts while maintaining intrinsic functional properties. Here, we show that cyclic miniproteins (or peptides) from Momordica (Cucurbitaceae) seeds evolved in species that diverged from an African ancestor around 19 Ma. The ability to achieve head-to-tail cyclization of Momordica cyclic peptides appears to have been acquired through a series of mutations in their acyclic precursor coding sequences following recent and independent gene expansion event(s). Evolutionary analysis of Momordica cyclic peptides reveals sites that are under selection, highlighting residues that are presumably constrained for maintaining their function as potent trypsin inhibitors. Molecular dynamics of Momordica cyclic peptides in complex with trypsin reveals site-specific residues involved in target binding. In a broader context, this study provides a basis for selecting Momordica species to further investigate the biosynthesis of the cyclic peptides and for constructing libraries that may be screened against evolutionarily related serine proteases implicated in human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tunjung Mahatmanto
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | - Joshua S Mylne
- The University of Western Australia, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry & The ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Crawley, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Aaron G Poth
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | - Joakim E Swedberg
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | - Quentin Kaas
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | - Hanno Schaefer
- Plant Biodiversity Research, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
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