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Kamayirese S, Maity S, Dieckman LM, Hansen LA, Lovas S. Optimizing Phosphopeptide Structures That Target 14-3-3ε in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:2719-2729. [PMID: 38250398 PMCID: PMC10795040 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c07740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
14-3-3ε is involved in various types of malignancies by increasing cell proliferation, promoting cell invasion, or inhibiting apoptosis. In cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), 14-3-3ε is overexpressed and mislocalized from the nucleus to the cytoplasm where it interacts with the cell division cycle 25 A (CDC25A) and suppresses apoptosis. Hence, inhibition of the 14-3-3ε-CDC25A interaction is an attractive target for promoting apoptosis in cSCC. In this work, we optimized the structure of our previously designed inhibitor of the 14-3-3ε-CDC25A interaction, pT, a phosphopeptide fragment corresponding to one of the two binding regions of CDC25A to 14-3-3ε. Starting from pT, we developed peptide analogs that bind 14-3-3ε with nanomolar affinities. Peptide analogs were designed by shortening the pT peptide and introducing modifications at position 510 of the pT(502-510) analog. Both molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and biophysical methods were used to determine peptide binding to 14-3-3ε. Shortening the pT peptide from 14 to 9 amino acid residues resulted in a peptide (pT(502-510)) that binds 14-3-3ε with a KD value of 45.2 nM. Gly to Phe substitution in position 510 of pT(502-510) led to further improvement in affinity (KD: 22.0 nM) of the peptide for 14-3-3ε. Our results suggest that the designed peptide analogs are potential candidates for inhibiting 14-3-3ε-CDC25A interactions in cSCC cells and thus inducing their apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seraphine Kamayirese
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, United States
| | - Sibaprasad Maity
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, United States
| | - Lynne M. Dieckman
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Creighton
University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, United States
| | - Laura A. Hansen
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, United States
| | - Sándor Lovas
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, United States
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2
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Wei Z, Chen M, Lu X, Liu Y, Peng G, Yang J, Tang C, Yu P. A New Advanced Approach: Design and Screening of Affinity Peptide Ligands Using Computer Simulation Techniques. Curr Top Med Chem 2024; 24:667-685. [PMID: 38549525 DOI: 10.2174/0115680266281358240206112605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Peptides acquire target affinity based on the combination of residues in their sequences and the conformation formed by their flexible folding, an ability that makes them very attractive biomaterials in therapeutic, diagnostic, and assay fields. With the development of computer technology, computer-aided design and screening of affinity peptides has become a more efficient and faster method. This review summarizes successful cases of computer-aided design and screening of affinity peptide ligands in recent years and lists the computer programs and online servers used in the process. In particular, the characteristics of different design and screening methods are summarized and categorized to help researchers choose between different methods. In addition, experimentally validated sequences are listed, and their applications are described, providing directions for the future development and application of computational peptide screening and design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Wei
- Xiangya School of Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Meilun Chen
- Xiangya School of Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Xiaoling Lu
- Xiangya School of Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Yijie Liu
- Xiangya School of Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Guangnan Peng
- School of Life Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Jie Yang
- Xiangya School of Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Chunhua Tang
- Xiangya School of Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Peng Yu
- Xiangya School of Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
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3
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Jahan I, Ahmad A, Deep S. Effect of flavonoids on the destabilization of α-synuclein fibrils and their conversion to amorphous aggregate: A molecular dynamics simulation and experimental study. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2023; 1871:140951. [PMID: 37574034 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2023.140951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
The second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease, Parkinson's disease (PD), is caused by the accumulation and deposition of fibrillar aggregates of the α-Syn into the Lewy bodies. To create a potent pharmacological candidate to destabilize the preformed α-Syn fibril, it is important to understand the precise molecular mechanism underlying the destabilization of the α-Syn fibril. Through molecular dynamics simulations and experiments, we have examined the molecular mechanisms causing the destabilization and suppression of a newly discovered α-Syn fibril with a Greek-key-like shape and an aggregation prone state (APS) of α-Syn in the presence and absence of various Flvs. According to MD simulation and experimental evidence, morin, quercetin, and myricetin are the Flvs, most capable of destabilizing the fibrils and converting them into amorphous aggregates. Compared to galangin and kaempferol, they have more hydroxyl groups and form more hydrogen bonds with fibrils.The processes by which morin and myricetin prevent new fibril production from APS and destabilize the fibrils are different. According to linear interaction energy analysis, van der Waals interaction predominates with morin, and electrostatic interaction dominates with myricetin. Our MD simulation and experimental findings provide mechanistic insights into how Flvs destabilize α-Syn fibrils and change their morphology, opening the door to developing structure-based drugs for treating Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishrat Jahan
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi 110016, India
| | - Aziz Ahmad
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi 110016, India
| | - Shashank Deep
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi 110016, India.
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4
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Kamayirese S, Maity S, Dieckman LM, Hansen LA, Lovas S. Optimizing Phosphopeptide Structures That Target 14-3-3ε in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.03.560749. [PMID: 37873379 PMCID: PMC10592926 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.03.560749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
14-3-3ε is involved in various types of malignancies by increasing cell proliferation, promoting cell invasion or inhibiting apoptosis. In cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), 14-3-3ε is over expressed and mislocalized from the nucleus to the cytoplasm where it interacts with the cell division cycle 25 A (CDC25A) and suppresses apoptosis. Hence inhibition of the 14-3-3ε - CDC25A interaction is an attractive target for promoting apoptosis in cSCC. In this work, we optimized the structure of our previously designed inhibitor of 14-3-3ε - CDC25A interaction, pT, a phosphopeptide fragment corresponding to one of the two binding regions of CDC25A to 14-3-3ε. Starting from pT, we developed peptide analogs that bind 14-3-3ε with nanomolar affinities. Peptide analogs were designed by shortening the pT peptide, and introducing modifications at position 510 of the pT(502-510) analog. Both molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and biophysical methods were used to determine peptides binding to 14-3-3ε. Shortening the pT peptide from 14 to 9 amino acid residues resulted in a peptide (pT(502-510)) that binds 14-3-3ε with a KD value of 45.2 nM. Gly to Phe substitution in position 510 of pT(502-510) led to further improvement in affinity (KD: 22.0 nM) of the peptide for 14-3-3ε. Our results suggest that the designed peptide analogs are potential candidates for inhibiting 14-3-3ε -CDC25A interactions in cSCC cells; thus, inducing their apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seraphine Kamayirese
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, Unites States
| | - Sibaprasad Maity
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, Unites States
| | - Lynne M. Dieckman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, Unites States
| | - Laura A. Hansen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, Unites States
| | - Sándor Lovas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, Unites States
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5
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Lu Y, Yang Y, Zhu G, Zeng H, Fan Y, Guo F, Xu D, Wang B, Chen D, Ge G. Emerging Pharmacotherapeutic Strategies to Overcome Undruggable Proteins in Cancer. Int J Biol Sci 2023; 19:3360-3382. [PMID: 37496997 PMCID: PMC10367563 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.83026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeted therapies in cancer treatment can improve in vivo efficacy and reduce adverse effects by altering the tissue exposure of specific biomolecules. However, there are still large number of target proteins in cancer are still undruggable, owing to the following factors including (1) lack of ligand-binding pockets, (2) function based on protein-protein interactions (PPIs), (3) the highly specific conserved active sites among protein family members, and (4) the variability of tertiary docking structures. The current status of undruggable targets proteins such as KRAS, TP53, C-MYC, PTP, are carefully introduced in this review. Some novel techniques and drug designing strategies have been applicated for overcoming these undruggable proteins, and the most classic and well-known technology is proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs). In this review, the novel drug development strategies including targeting protein degradation, targeting PPI, targeting intrinsically disordered regions, as well as targeting protein-DNA binding are described, and we also discuss the potential of these strategies for overcoming the undruggable targets. Besides, intelligence-assisted technologies like Alpha-Fold help us a lot to predict the protein structure, which is beneficial for drug development. The discovery of new targets and the development of drugs targeting them, especially those undruggable targets, remain a huge challenge. New drug development strategies, better extraction processes that do not disrupt protein-protein interactions, and more precise artificial intelligence technologies may provide significant assistance in overcoming these undruggable targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Lu
- Dalian Medical University, 116044 Dalian City, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Yuewen Yang
- Dalian Medical University, 116044 Dalian City, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Guanghao Zhu
- Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 201203 Shanghai City, China
| | - Hairong Zeng
- Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 201203 Shanghai City, China
| | - Yiming Fan
- Dalian Harmony Medical Testing Laboratory Co., Ltd, 116620 Dalian City, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Fujia Guo
- Dalian Medical University, 116044 Dalian City, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Dongshu Xu
- Dalian Medical University, 116044 Dalian City, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Boya Wang
- Dalian Medical University, 116044 Dalian City, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Dapeng Chen
- Dalian Medical University, 116044 Dalian City, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Guangbo Ge
- Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 201203 Shanghai City, China
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Sola M, Rendon-Angel A, Rojo Martinez V, Sgrignani J, Magrin C, Piovesana E, Cavalli A, Paganetti P, Papin S. Tau protein binds to the P53 E3 ubiquitin ligase MDM2. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10208. [PMID: 37353565 PMCID: PMC10290082 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37046-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau gene mutations cause a progressive dementia and neurotoxic Tau forms deposited in neurofibrillary tangles are hallmarks of neurodegenerative tauopathies. Loss of non-canonical Tau functions may contribute to disease. In fact, Tau depletion affects the cellular response to DNA damage and tauopathies exhibit the accumulation of DNA lesions. Moreover, Tau modulates P53 activity and cell fate. Considering that MDM2 is the main antagonist of P53, we investigated, using orthogonal assays, if Tau interacts with MDM2. We report the existence in cells and brain of a Tau-MDM2 complex that, in vitro, exhibits reduced P53 ubiquitination activity in a manner sensitive to a Tau mutation. The Tau-MDM2 interaction involves the microtubule-binding domain of Tau and the acidic domain of MDM2, reminiscent of the binding of Tau to negatively charged microtubules. Notably, MDM2 accumulates aberrantly in neurofibrillary tangles. Aging-associated insults may expose a novel loss-of-function of Tau in neurodegeneration and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Sola
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Room 102a, Via Chiesa 5, 6500, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- PhD Program in Neurosciences, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Azucena Rendon-Angel
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Room 102a, Via Chiesa 5, 6500, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Viviana Rojo Martinez
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Room 102a, Via Chiesa 5, 6500, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Jacopo Sgrignani
- Computational Structural Biology, Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Magrin
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Room 102a, Via Chiesa 5, 6500, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- PhD Program in Neurosciences, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Ester Piovesana
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Room 102a, Via Chiesa 5, 6500, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- PhD Program in Neurosciences, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Cavalli
- Computational Structural Biology, Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Paganetti
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Room 102a, Via Chiesa 5, 6500, Bellinzona, Switzerland.
- PhD Program in Neurosciences, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland.
- Neurocentro Della Svizzera Italiana, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Stéphanie Papin
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Room 102a, Via Chiesa 5, 6500, Bellinzona, Switzerland
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Monti A, Vitagliano L, Caporale A, Ruvo M, Doti N. Targeting Protein-Protein Interfaces with Peptides: The Contribution of Chemical Combinatorial Peptide Library Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24097842. [PMID: 37175549 PMCID: PMC10178479 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24097842] [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: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interfaces play fundamental roles in the molecular mechanisms underlying pathophysiological pathways and are important targets for the design of compounds of therapeutic interest. However, the identification of binding sites on protein surfaces and the development of modulators of protein-protein interactions still represent a major challenge due to their highly dynamic and extensive interfacial areas. Over the years, multiple strategies including structural, computational, and combinatorial approaches have been developed to characterize PPI and to date, several successful examples of small molecules, antibodies, peptides, and aptamers able to modulate these interfaces have been determined. Notably, peptides are a particularly useful tool for inhibiting PPIs due to their exquisite potency, specificity, and selectivity. Here, after an overview of PPIs and of the commonly used approaches to identify and characterize them, we describe and evaluate the impact of chemical peptide libraries in medicinal chemistry with a special focus on the results achieved through recent applications of this methodology. Finally, we also discuss the role that this methodology can have in the framework of the opportunities, and challenges that the application of new predictive approaches based on artificial intelligence is generating in structural biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Monti
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council (CNR), 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Luigi Vitagliano
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council (CNR), 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Andrea Caporale
- Institute of Crystallography (IC), National Research Council (CNR), Strada Statale 14 km 163.5, Basovizza, 34149 Triese, Italy
| | - Menotti Ruvo
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council (CNR), 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Nunzianna Doti
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council (CNR), 80131 Napoli, Italy
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Soriano-Correa C, Vichi-Ramírez MM, Herrera-Valencia EE, Barrientos-Salcedo C. The role of ETFS amino acids on the stability and inhibition of p53-MDM2 complex of anticancer p53-derivatives peptides: Density functional theory and molecular docking studies. J Mol Graph Model 2023; 122:108472. [PMID: 37086514 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2023.108472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality in the world. Despite the existence of diverse antineoplastic treatments, these do not possess the expected efficacy in many cases. Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in tumor processes allows the identification of a greater number of therapeutic targets employed in the study of new anticancer drugs. In the last decades, peptide-based therapy design using computational chemistry has gained importance in the field of oncology therapeutics. This work aims to evaluate the electronic structure, physicochemical properties, stability, and inhibition of ETFS amino acids and peptides derived from the p53-MDM2 binding domain with action in cancer cells; by means of chemical descriptors at the DFT-BHandHLYP level in an aqueous solution, and its intermolecular interactions through molecular docking studies. The results show that The ETFS fragment plays a critical role in the intermolecular interactions. Thus, the amino acids E17, T18 and S20 increase intermolecular interactions through hydrogen bonds and enhance structural stability. F19, W23 and V25 enhance the formation of the alpha-helix. The hydrogen bonds formed by the backbone atoms for PNC-27, PNC-27-B and PNC-28 stabilize the α-helices more than hydrogen bonds formed by the side chains atoms. Also, molecular docking indicated that the PNC27B-MDM2, PNC28B-MDM2, PNC27-MDM2 and PNC28A-MDM2 complexes show the best binding energy. Therefore, DFT and molecular docking studies showed that the proposed peptides: PNC-28B, PNC-27B and PNC-28A could inhibit the binding of MDM2 to the p53 protein, decreasing the translocation and degradation of p53 native protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catalina Soriano-Correa
- Unidad de Química Computacional, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza (FES-Zaragoza), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Iztapalapa, C.P. 09230, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Micheel Merari Vichi-Ramírez
- Doctorado en Investigaciones Cerebrales, Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, C.P. 91192, Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Edtson E Herrera-Valencia
- Laboratorio de Química Médica y Quimiogenómica, Facultad de Bioanálisis Campus Veracruz, Universidad Veracruzana, C.P. 91700, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Carolina Barrientos-Salcedo
- Laboratorio de Reología y Fenómenos de Transporte (UMIEZ), Carrera de Ingeniería Química, FES Zaragoza UNAM, Iztapalapa, C.P. 09230, Mexico City, Mexico.
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9
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Ghasemali S, Farajnia S, Barzegar A, Rahmati-Yamchi M, Negahdari B, Rahbarnia L, Yousefi-Nodeh H. Rational Design of Anti-Angiogenic Peptides to Inhibit VEGF/VEGFR2 Interactions for Cancer Therapeutics. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2021; 22:ACAMC-EPUB-118914. [PMID: 34792006 DOI: 10.2174/1871520621666211118104051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Angiogenesis is a critical physiological process that plays a key role in tumor progression, metastatic dissemination, and invasion. In the last two decades, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway has been the area of extensive researches. VEGF executes its special effects by binding to vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs), particularly VEGFR-2. OBJECTIVE The inhibition of VEGF/VEGFR2 interaction is known as an effective cancer therapy strategy. The current study pointed to design and model an anti-VEGF peptide based on VEGFR2 binding regions. METHOD The large-scale peptide mutation screening was used to achieve a potent peptide with high binding affinity to VEGF for possible application in inhibition of VEGF/VEGFR2 interaction. The AntiCP and Peptide Ranker servers were used to generate the possible peptides library with anticancer activities and prediction of peptides bioactivity. Then, the interaction of VEGF and all library peptides were analyzed using Hex 8.0.0 and ClusPro tools. A number of six peptides with favorable docking scores were achieved. All of the best docking scores of peptides in complexes with VEGF were evaluated to confirm their stability, using molecular dynamics simulation (MD) with the help of the GROMACS software package. RESULTS As a result, two antiangiogenic peptides with 13 residues of PepA (NGIDFNRDFFLGL) and PepC (NGIDFNRDKFLFL) were achieved and introduced to inhibit VEGF/VEGFR2 interactions. CONCLUSIONS In summary, this study provided new insights into peptide-based therapeutics development for targeting VEGF signaling pathway in tumor cells. PepA and PepC are recommended as potentially promising anticancer agents for further experimental evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samaneh Ghasemali
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz. Iran
| | - Safar Farajnia
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz. Iran
| | - Abolfazl Barzegar
- Research Center of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz. Iran
| | - Mohammad Rahmati-Yamchi
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz. Iran
| | - Babak Negahdari
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran. Iran
| | - Leila Rahbarnia
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz. Iran
| | - Hamidreza Yousefi-Nodeh
- Research Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz. Iran
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10
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Simulations on the dual effects of flavonoids as suppressors of Aβ42 fibrillogenesis and destabilizers of mature fibrils. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16636. [PMID: 33024142 PMCID: PMC7538952 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72734-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Structural studies of the aggregation inhibition of the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) by different natural compounds are of the utmost importance due to their great potential as neuroprotective and therapeutic agents for Alzheimer’s disease. We provided the simulation of molecular dynamics for two different states of Aβ42, including “monomeric aggregation-prone state (APS)” and “U-shaped pentamers of amyloidogenic protofilament intermediates” in the absence and presence of polyphenolic flavonoids (Flvs, myricetin and morin) in order to verify the possible mechanism of Flvs fibrillogenesis suppression. Data showed that Flvs directly bind into Aβ42 species in both states of “monomeric APS β-sheets” and “pentameric amyloidogenic intermediates”. Binding of Flvs with amyloidogenic protofilament intermediates caused the attenuation of some inter-chains H-bonds, salt bridges, van der Waals and interpeptide interaction energies without interfering with their secondary β-sheets. Therefore, Flvs redirect oligomeric amyloidogenic intermediates into unstructured aggregates by significant disruption of the "steric zipper" motif of fibrils—pairs of self-complementary β-sheets—without changing the amount of β-sheets. It is while Flvs completely destruct the disadvantageous secondary β-sheets of monomeric APS conformers by converting them into coil/helix structures. It means that Flvs suppress the fibrillogenesis process of the monomeric APS structures by converting their β-sheets into proper soluble coil/helices structures. The different actions of Flvs in contact with two different states of Aβ conformers are related to high interaction tendency of Flvs with additional H-bonds for monomeric APS β-sheet, rather than oligomeric protofilaments. Linear interaction energy (LIE) analysis confirmed the strong binding of monomeric Aβ-Flvs with more negative ∆Gbinding, rather than oligomeric Aβ-Flvs system. Therefore, atomic scale computational evaluation of Flvs actions demonstrated different dual functions of Flvs, concluded from the application of two different monomeric and pentameric Aβ42 systems. The distinct dual functions of Flvs are proposed as suppressing the aggregation by converting β-sheets of monomeric APS to proper soluble structures and disrupting the "steric zipper" fibril motifs of oligomeric intermediate by converting on-pathway into off-pathway. Taken together, our data propose that Flvs exert dual and more effective functions against monomeric APS (fibrillogenesis suppression) and remodel the Aβ aggregation pathway (fibril destabilization).
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