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Chiesa E, Anastasi F, Clerici F, Lumina EM, Genta I, Pellegrino S, Gelmi ML. Stereochemical Behavior of Pyrrolo-Pyrazole Peptidomimetics Promoting Phase-Selective Supramolecular Organogels. Gels 2024; 10:263. [PMID: 38667682 PMCID: PMC11049432 DOI: 10.3390/gels10040263] [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: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Supramolecular gels were developed by taking advantage of an assembly of small dipeptides containing pyrrolo-pyrazole scaffolds. The dipeptides were prepared through a robust and ecofriendly synthetic approach from the commercially available starting materials of diazoalkanes and maleimides. By playing with the functionalization of the scaffold, the choice of the natural amino acid, and the stereochemistry, we were able to obtain phase-selective gels. In particular, one peptidomimetic showed gelation ability and thermoreversibility in aromatic solvents at very low concentrations. Rheology tests showed a typical viscoelastic solid profile, indicating the formation of strong gels that were stable under high mechanical deformation. NMR studies were performed, allowing us to determine the conformational and stereochemical features at the base of the supramolecular interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Chiesa
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (E.C.)
| | - Francesco Anastasi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (DISFARM), University of Milan, Via Venezian 21, 20133 Milano, Italy; (F.A.); (E.M.L.)
| | - Francesca Clerici
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (DISFARM), University of Milan, Via Venezian 21, 20133 Milano, Italy; (F.A.); (E.M.L.)
| | - Edoardo Mario Lumina
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (DISFARM), University of Milan, Via Venezian 21, 20133 Milano, Italy; (F.A.); (E.M.L.)
| | - Ida Genta
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (E.C.)
| | - Sara Pellegrino
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (DISFARM), University of Milan, Via Venezian 21, 20133 Milano, Italy; (F.A.); (E.M.L.)
| | - Maria Luisa Gelmi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (DISFARM), University of Milan, Via Venezian 21, 20133 Milano, Italy; (F.A.); (E.M.L.)
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2
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Antoniou AI, Pesenti M, Crespi S, Shenoy DS, Penconi M, Bossi A, Pellegrino S. Aggregation-Induced Enhanced Emission of Tetraphenylethene-phenylalanine Hybrids: Synthesis and Characterization. J Org Chem 2024; 89:4733-4740. [PMID: 38520355 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.3c02969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Aggregation-induced emitting (AIE) luminophores are sensitive and easy-to-handle types of probes that allow driving a stimulus-responsive off/on optical tool through the manipulation of the aggregation behavior. In this work, tetraphenylethene (TPE)-phenylalanine derivatives, characterized by strong aggregation-induced luminescence, were obtained through Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions. The reaction proved to be straightforwardly applicable in the single amino acid synthesis as well as in the late-stage peptide functionalization by means of both the classical solution-phase reaction and solid-phase synthesis. A comprehensive structural and analytical investigation highlighted the features driving the self-assembly process and its relationship to AIE efficiency. In particular, we showed that the simple slight (asymmetric) extension of the TPE π-systems results in more efficient and brighter emissions, with respect to the simple TPE system itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia I Antoniou
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, IT-20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Pesenti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, IT-20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Crespi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra Ardito Desio, Università degli Studi di Milano, IT-20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Dhriti S Shenoy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, IT-20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Penconi
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta" del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, CNR-SCITEC; Photoactive Molecular Materials & Devices Group, IT-20138 Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Bossi
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta" del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, CNR-SCITEC; Photoactive Molecular Materials & Devices Group, IT-20138 Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Pellegrino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, IT-20133 Milan, Italy
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3
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Vaghi F, Facchetti G, Rimoldi I, Bottiglieri M, Contini A, Gelmi ML, Bucci R. Highly efficient morpholine-based organocatalysts for the 1,4-addition reaction between aldehydes and nitroolefins: an unexploited class of catalysts. Front Chem 2023; 11:1233097. [PMID: 37638101 PMCID: PMC10451084 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1233097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Many studies have demonstrated how the pyrrolidine nucleus is more efficient than the corresponding piperidine or morpholine as organocatalysts in the condensation of aldehydes with electrophiles via enamine. Focussing on morpholine-enamines, their low reactivity is ascribed to the presence of oxygen on the ring and to the pronounced pyramidalisation of nitrogen, decreasing the nucleophilicity of the enamine. Thus, the selection of efficient morpholine organocatalysts appears to be a difficult challenge. Herein, we reported on the synthesis of new organocatalysts belonging to the class of ß-morpholine amino acids that were tested in a model reaction, i.e., the 1,4-addition reaction of aldehydes to nitroolefins. Starting from commercially available amino acids and epichlorohydrin, we designed an efficient synthesis for the aforementioned catalysts, controlling the configuration and the substitution pattern. Computational studies indeed disclosed the transition state of the reaction, explaining why, despite all the limitations of the morpholine ring for enamine catalysis, our best catalyst works efficiently, affording condensation products with excellent yields, diastereoselection and good-to-exquisite enantioselectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Raffaella Bucci
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, DISFARM, Sezione Chimica Generale e Organica “A. Marchesini”, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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4
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Forlano N, Bucci R, Contini A, Venanzi M, Placidi E, Gelmi ML, Lettieri R, Gatto E. Non-Conventional Peptide Self-Assembly into a Conductive Supramolecular Rope. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:nano13020333. [PMID: 36678086 PMCID: PMC9867255 DOI: 10.3390/nano13020333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Structures composed of alternating α and β amino acids can give rise to peculiar secondary structural motifs, which could self-assemble into complex structures of controlled geometries. This work describes the self-assembly properties of an α,β-peptide, containing three units of syn H2-(2-F-Phe)-h-PheGly-OH, able to self-organize on surfaces into a fascinating supramolecular rope. This material was characterized by AFM, electronic conduction and fluorescence measurements. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that this hexapeptide can self-assemble into an antiparallel β-sheet layer, stabilized by intermolecular H-bonds, which, in turn, can self-assemble into many side-by-side layers, due to π-π interactions. As a matter of fact, we demonstrated that in this system, the presence of aromatic residues at the intramolecular interface promoted by the alternation of α,β-amino-acids in the primary sequence, endorses the formation of a super-secondary structure where the aromatic groups are close to each other, conferring to the system good electron conduction properties. This work demonstrates the capability and future potential of designing and fabricating distinctive nanostructures and efficient bioelectronic interfaces based on an α,β-peptide, by controlling structure and interaction processes beyond those obtained with α- or β-peptides alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Forlano
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Raffaella Bucci
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via Venezian 21, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Contini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via Venezian 21, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Mariano Venanzi
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Ernesto Placidi
- Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Gelmi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via Venezian 21, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaella Lettieri
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Emanuela Gatto
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Roma, Italy
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5
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Fasola E, Alboreggia G, Pieraccini S, Oliva F, Agharbaoui FE, Bollati M, Bertoni G, Recchia S, Marelli M, Piarulli U, Pellegrino S, Gazzola S. Conformational switch and multiple supramolecular structures of a newly identified self-assembling protein-mimetic peptide from Pseudomonas aeruginosa YeaZ protein. Front Chem 2022; 10:1038796. [PMID: 36583150 PMCID: PMC9792601 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.1038796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-mimetic peptides (PMPs) are shorter sequences of self-assembling proteins, that represent remarkable building blocks for the generation of bioinspired functional supramolecular structures with multiple applications. The identification of novel aminoacidic sequences that permit the access to valuable biocompatible materials is an attractive area of research. In this work, in silico analysis of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa YeaZ protein (PaYeaZ) led to the identification of a tetradecapeptide that represents the shortest sequence responsible for the YeaZ-YeaZ dimer formation. Based on its sequence, an innovative 20-meric peptide, called PMP-2, was designed, synthesized, and characterized in terms of secondary structure and self-assembly properties. PMP-2 conserves a helical character and self-assembles into helical nanofibers in non-polar solvents (DMSO and trifluoroethanol), as well as in dilute (0.5 mM) aqueous solutions. In contrast, at higher concentrations (>2 mM) in water, a conformational transition from α-helix to β-sheet occurs, which is accompanied by the Protein-mimetic peptide aggregation into 2D-sheets and formation supramolecular gel in aqueous environment. Our findings reveal a newly identified Protein-mimetic peptide that could turn as a promising candidate for future material applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elettra Fasola
- Science and High Technology Department, University of Insubria, Como, Italy
| | - Giulia Alboreggia
- Science and High Technology Department, University of Insubria, Como, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Michela Bollati
- CNR and Department of Biosciences, Institute of Biophysics, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Sandro Recchia
- Science and High Technology Department, University of Insubria, Como, Italy
| | - Marcello Marelli
- CNR-SCITEC—Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta”, Milan, Italy
| | - Umberto Piarulli
- Science and High Technology Department, University of Insubria, Como, Italy,*Correspondence: Umberto Piarulli, ; Silvia Gazzola,
| | - Sara Pellegrino
- Pharmaceutical Science Department, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Gazzola
- Science and High Technology Department, University of Insubria, Como, Italy,*Correspondence: Umberto Piarulli, ; Silvia Gazzola,
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6
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Willardiine and Its Synthetic Analogues: Biological Aspects and Implications in Peptide Chemistry of This Nucleobase Amino Acid. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15101243. [PMID: 36297355 PMCID: PMC9611319 DOI: 10.3390/ph15101243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Willardiine is a nonprotein amino acid containing uracil, and thus classified as nucleobase amino acid or nucleoamino acid, that together with isowillardiine forms the family of uracilylalanines isolated more than six decades ago in higher plants. Willardiine acts as a partial agonist of ionotropic glutamate receptors and more in particular it agonizes the non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (non-NMDA) receptors of L-glutamate: ie. the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) and kainate receptors. Several analogues and derivatives of willardiine have been synthesised in the laboratory in the last decades and these compounds show different binding affinities for the non-NMDA receptors. More in detail, the willardiine analogues have been employed not only in the investigation of the structure of AMPA and kainate receptors, but also to evaluate the effects of receptor activation in the various brain regions. Remarkably, there are a number of neurological diseases determined by alterations in glutamate signaling, and thus, ligands for AMPA and kainate receptors deserve attention as potential neurodrugs. In fact, similar to willardiine its analogues often act as agonists of AMPA and kainate receptors. A particular importance should be recognized to willardiine and its thymine-based analogue AlaT also in the peptide chemistry field. In fact, besides the naturally-occurring short nucleopeptides isolated from plant sources, there are different examples in which this class of nucleoamino acids was investigated for nucleopeptide development. The applications are various ranging from the realization of nucleopeptide/DNA chimeras for diagnostic applications, and nucleoamino acid derivatization of proteins for facilitating protein-nucleic acid interaction, to nucleopeptide-nucleopeptide molecular recognition for nanotechnological applications. All the above aspects on both chemistry and biotechnological applications of willardine/willardine-analogues and nucleopeptide will be reviewed in this work.
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7
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Impresari E, Bossi A, Lumina EM, Ortenzi MA, Kothuis JM, Cappelletti G, Maggioni D, Christodoulou MS, Bucci R, Pellegrino S. Fatty Acids/Tetraphenylethylene Conjugates: Hybrid AIEgens for the Preparation of Peptide-Based Supramolecular Gels. Front Chem 2022; 10:927563. [PMID: 36003614 PMCID: PMC9393247 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.927563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggregation-induced emissive materials are gaining particular attention in the last decades due to their wide application in different fields, from optical devices to biomedicine. In this work, compounds having these kinds of properties, composed of tetraphenylethylene scaffold combined with fatty acids of different lengths, were synthesized and characterized. These molecules were found able to self-assemble into different supramolecular emissive structures depending on the chemical composition and water content. Furthermore, they were used as N-terminus capping agents in the development of peptide-based materials. The functionalization of a 5-mer laminin-derived peptide led to the obtainment of luminescent fibrillary materials that were not cytotoxic and were able to form supramolecular gels in aqueous environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Impresari
- DISFARM, Dipartimento Di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Sezione Chimica Generale e Organica “A. Marchesini”, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Bossi
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “G.Natta”, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR-SCITEC), Milan, Italy
- SmartMatLab Center, Milan, Italy
| | - Edoardo Mario Lumina
- DISFARM, Dipartimento Di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Sezione Chimica Generale e Organica “A. Marchesini”, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Aldo Ortenzi
- CRC Materiali Polimerici “LaMPo”, Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Daniela Maggioni
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Michael S. Christodoulou
- Departiment of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaella Bucci
- DISFARM, Dipartimento Di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Sezione Chimica Generale e Organica “A. Marchesini”, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Pellegrino
- DISFARM, Dipartimento Di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Sezione Chimica Generale e Organica “A. Marchesini”, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- *Correspondence: Sara Pellegrino,
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8
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Bucci R, Vaghi F, Di Lorenzo D, Anastasi F, Broggini G, Lo Presti L, Contini A, Gelmi ML. A Non‐coded β2,2‐Amino Acid with Isoxazoline Core Able to Stabilize Peptides Folding Through an Unprecedented Hydrogen Bond. European J Org Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.202200601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Bucci
- Università degli Studi di Milano: Universita degli Studi di Milano Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche ITALY
| | - Francesco Vaghi
- Università degli Studi di Milano: Universita degli Studi di Milano Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche ITALY
| | - Davide Di Lorenzo
- Università degli Studi di Milano: Universita degli Studi di Milano Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche ITALY
| | - Francesco Anastasi
- Università degli Studi di Milano: Universita degli Studi di Milano Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche ITALY
| | - Gianluigi Broggini
- Università degli Studi dell'Insubria Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia ITALY
| | - Leonardo Lo Presti
- Università degli Studi di Milano: Universita degli Studi di Milano Dipartimento di Chimica ITALY
| | - Alessandro Contini
- Università degli Studi di Milano: Universita degli Studi di Milano Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche ITALY
| | - Maria Luisa Gelmi
- Universita degli Studi di Milano DISFARM, Sezione di Chimica Generale e Organica “A. Marchesini” Via Venezian 21 20133 Milano ITALY
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Giraud T, Hoschtettler P, Pickaert G, Averlant-Petit MC, Stefan L. Emerging low-molecular weight nucleopeptide-based hydrogels: state of the art, applications, challenges and perspectives. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:4908-4921. [PMID: 35319034 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr06131c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Over the last twenty years, low-molecular weight gelators and, in particular, peptide-based hydrogels, have drawn great attention from scientists thanks to both their inherent advantages in terms of properties and their high modularity (e.g., number and nature of the amino acids). These supramolecular hydrogels originate from specific peptide self-assembly processes that can be driven, modulated and optimized via specific chemical modifications brought to the peptide sequence. Among them, the incorporation of nucleobases, another class of biomolecules well-known for their abilities to self-assemble, has recently appeared as a new promising and burgeoning approach to finely design supramolecular hydrogels. In this minireview, we would like to highlight the interest, high potential, applications and perspectives of these innovative and emerging low-molecular weight nucleopeptide-based hydrogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Giraud
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LCPM, F-54000 Nancy, France.
| | | | | | | | - Loic Stefan
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LCPM, F-54000 Nancy, France.
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10
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Bucci R, Maggioni D, Locarno S, Ferretti AM, Gelmi ML, Pellegrino S. Exploiting Ultrashort α,β-Peptides in the Colloidal Stabilization of Gold Nanoparticles. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:11365-11373. [PMID: 34533956 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c01981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Colloidal gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have found wide-ranging applications in nanomedicine due to their unique optical properties, ease of preparation, and functionalization. To avoid the formation of GNP aggregates in the physiological environment, molecules such as lipids, polysaccharides, or polymers are employed as GNP coatings. Here, we present the colloidal stabilization of GNPs using ultrashort α,β-peptides containing the repeating unit of a diaryl β2,3-amino acid and characterized by an extended conformation. Differently functionalized GNPs have been characterized by ultraviolet, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy analysis, allowing us to define the best candidate that inhibits the aggregation of GNPs not only in water but also in mouse serum. In particular, a short tripeptide was found to be able to stabilize GNPs in physiological media over 3 months. This new system has been further capped with albumin, obtaining a material with even more colloidal stability and ability to prevent the formation of a thick protein corona in physiological media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Bucci
- DISFARM-Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Sezione Chimica Generale e Organica "A. Marchesini", Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Venezian 21, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Daniela Maggioni
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Silvia Locarno
- Dipartimento di Fisica "Aldo Pontremoli", Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Ferretti
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche ″Giulio Natta″, Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (SCITEC-CNR), Via G. Fantoli 16/15, 20138 Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Gelmi
- DISFARM-Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Sezione Chimica Generale e Organica "A. Marchesini", Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Venezian 21, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Sara Pellegrino
- DISFARM-Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Sezione Chimica Generale e Organica "A. Marchesini", Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Venezian 21, 20133 Milano, Italy
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11
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Loro C, Sala R, Penso M, Foschi F. DBU Catalysed Enantioselective Degradative Rearrangement: a Way to Tetrasubstituted 2‐Aryl‐2‐Amino Esters. Adv Synth Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/adsc.202100493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Loro
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia Università degli Studi dell'Insubria Via Valleggio 9 IT-20100 Como Italy
| | - Roberto Sala
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia Università degli Studi dell'Insubria Via Valleggio 9 IT-20100 Como Italy
| | - Michele Penso
- CNR-Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta” (SCITEC) Via Golgi 19 IT-20133 Milano Italy
| | - Francesca Foschi
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia Università degli Studi dell'Insubria Via Valleggio 9 IT-20100 Como Italy
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12
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Scognamiglio PL, Platella C, Napolitano E, Musumeci D, Roviello GN. From Prebiotic Chemistry to Supramolecular Biomedical Materials: Exploring the Properties of Self-Assembling Nucleobase-Containing Peptides. Molecules 2021; 26:3558. [PMID: 34200901 PMCID: PMC8230524 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26123558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptides and their synthetic analogs are a class of molecules with enormous relevance as therapeutics for their ability to interact with biomacromolecules like nucleic acids and proteins, potentially interfering with biological pathways often involved in the onset and progression of pathologies of high social impact. Nucleobase-bearing peptides (nucleopeptides) and pseudopeptides (PNAs) offer further interesting possibilities related to their nucleobase-decorated nature for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, thanks to their reported ability to target complementary DNA and RNA strands. In addition, these chimeric compounds are endowed with intriguing self-assembling properties, which are at the heart of their investigation as self-replicating materials in prebiotic chemistry, as well as their application as constituents of innovative drug delivery systems and, more generally, as novel nanomaterials to be employed in biomedicine. Herein we describe the properties of nucleopeptides, PNAs and related supramolecular systems, and summarize some of the most relevant applications of these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chiara Platella
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.P.); (E.N.); (D.M.)
| | - Ettore Napolitano
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.P.); (E.N.); (D.M.)
| | - Domenica Musumeci
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.P.); (E.N.); (D.M.)
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini IBB-CNR, via Tommaso De Amicis 95, I-80145 Naples, Italy
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13
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Stimulus-responsive liposomes for biomedical applications. Drug Discov Today 2021; 26:1794-1824. [PMID: 34058372 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Liposomes are amphipathic lipidic supramolecular aggregates that are able to encapsulate and carry molecules of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic nature. They have been widely used as in vivo drug delivery systems for some time because they offer features such as synthetic flexibility, biodegradability, biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and negligible toxicity. In recent years, the chemical modification of liposomes has paved the way to the development of smart liposome-based drug delivery systems, which are characterized by even more tunable and disease-directed features. In this review, we highlight the different types of chemical modification introduced to date, with a particular focus on internal stimuli-responsive liposomes and prodrug activation.
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Bucci R, Foschi F, Loro C, Erba E, Gelmi ML, Pellegrino S. Fishing in the Toolbox of Cyclic Turn Mimics: a Literature Overview of the Last Decade. European J Org Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.202100244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Bucci
- Dipartimento di Scienze farmaceutiche,DISFARM Università degli Studi di Milano Via Venezian 21 Milano 20133 Italy
| | - Francesca Foschi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Alta Tecnologie,DiSAT Università degli Studi dell'Insubria Via Valleggio 9 Como 20100 Italy
| | - Camilla Loro
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Alta Tecnologie,DiSAT Università degli Studi dell'Insubria Via Valleggio 9 Como 20100 Italy
| | - Emanuela Erba
- Dipartimento di Scienze farmaceutiche,DISFARM Università degli Studi di Milano Via Venezian 21 Milano 20133 Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Gelmi
- Dipartimento di Scienze farmaceutiche,DISFARM Università degli Studi di Milano Via Venezian 21 Milano 20133 Italy
| | - Sara Pellegrino
- Dipartimento di Scienze farmaceutiche,DISFARM Università degli Studi di Milano Via Venezian 21 Milano 20133 Italy
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Contini A, Erba E, Bondavalli V, Barbiroli A, Gelmi ML, Romanelli A. Morpholino-based peptide oligomers: Synthesis and DNA binding properties. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 549:8-13. [PMID: 33652207 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.02.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The chemical structure of oligonucleotide analogues dictates the conformation of oligonucleotide analogue oligomers, their ability to hybridize complementary DNA and RNA, their stability to degradation and their pharmacokinetic properties. In a study aimed at investigating new analogues featuring a neutral backbone, we explored the ability of oligomers containing a morpholino-peptide backbone to bind oligonucleotides. Circular Dichroism studies revealed the ability of our oligomers to interact with DNA, molecular modelling studies revealed the interaction responsible for complex stabilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Contini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Emanuela Erba
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Valeria Bondavalli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Alberto Barbiroli
- DeFENS - Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Gelmi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Romanelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
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