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Di Stasi R, De Rosa L, D'Andrea LD. Structure-Based Design of Peptides Targeting VEGF/VEGFRs. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:851. [PMID: 37375798 DOI: 10.3390/ph16060851] [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: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors (VEGFRs) play a main role in the regulation of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. Furthermore, they are implicated in the onset of several diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative eye conditions, tumor growth, ulcers and ischemia. Therefore, molecules able to target the VEGF and its receptors are of great pharmaceutical interest. Several types of molecules have been reported so far. In this review, we focus on the structure-based design of peptides mimicking VEGF/VEGFR binding epitopes. The binding interface of the complex has been dissected and the different regions challenged for peptide design. All these trials furnished a better understanding of the molecular recognition process and provide us with a wealth of molecules that could be optimized to be exploited for pharmaceutical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucia De Rosa
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, 80131 Napoli, Italy
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Diana D, Di Stasi R, García-Viñuales S, De Rosa L, Isernia C, Malgieri G, Milardi D, D'Andrea LD, Fattorusso R. Structural characterization of the thermal unfolding pathway of human VEGFR1 D2 domain. FEBS J 2021; 289:1591-1602. [PMID: 34689403 PMCID: PMC9299094 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Folding stability is a crucial feature of protein evolution and is essential for protein functions. Thus, the comprehension of protein folding mechanisms represents an important complement to protein structure and function, crucial to determine the structural basis of protein misfolding. In this context, thermal unfolding studies represent a useful tool to get a molecular description of the conformational transitions governing the folding/unfolding equilibrium of a given protein. Here, we report the thermal folding/unfolding pathway of VEGFR1D2, a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily by means of a high-resolution thermodynamic approach that combines differential scanning calorimetry with atomic-level unfolding monitored by NMR. We show how VEGFR1D2 folding is driven by an oxidatively induced disulfide pairing: the key event in the achievement of its functional structure is the formation of a small hydrophobic core that surrounds a disulfide bridge. Such a 'folding nucleus' induces the cooperative transition to the properly folded conformation supporting the hypothesis that a disulfide bond can act as a folding nucleus that eases the folding process.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lucia De Rosa
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Napoli, Italy
| | - Carla Isernia
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche (DiSTABiF), Università degli Studi della Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli', Caserta, Italy
| | - Gaetano Malgieri
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche (DiSTABiF), Università degli Studi della Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli', Caserta, Italy
| | | | - Luca D D'Andrea
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche 'Giulio Natta', CNR, Milano, Italy
| | - Roberto Fattorusso
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche (DiSTABiF), Università degli Studi della Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli', Caserta, Italy
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De Rosa L, Capasso D, Diana D, Stefania R, Di Stasi R, Fattorusso R, D'Andrea LD. Metabolic and conformational stabilization of a VEGF-mimetic beta-hairpin peptide by click-chemistry. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 222:113575. [PMID: 34130005 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
HPLW is a Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)-mimicking beta-hairpin peptide endowed of proangiogenic effect and showing valuable biomedical application in the proangiogenic therapy. However, the translational potential of HPLW is limited by its low metabolic stability, which would shorten the in vivo efficacy of the molecule. Here, we developed a peptide analog of HPLW, named HPLW2, that retains the structural and biological properties of the original peptide but features an impressive resistance to degradation by human serum proteases. HPLW2 was obtained by covalently modifying the chemical structure of the peptide with molecular tools known to impart protease resistance. Notably, the peptide was cyclized by installing an interstrand triazole bridge through Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction. HPLW2 appears as a novel and promising drug candidate with potential biomedical application in the proangiogenic therapy as a low molecular weight drug, alternative to the use of VEGF. Our work points out the utility of the interstrand triazole bridge as effective chemical platform for the conformational and metabolic stabilization of beta-hairpin bioactive peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia De Rosa
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Napoli, Italy
| | - Domenica Capasso
- CESTEV, Università di Napoli "Federico II", Via De Amicis 95, 80134, Napoli, Italy; CIRPeB Università di Napoli "Federico II" Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Napoli, Italy
| | - Donatella Diana
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Napoli, Italy
| | - Rachele Stefania
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Molecolari e Scienze per La Salute, Università di Torino, Via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Rossella Di Stasi
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Napoli, Italy
| | - Roberto Fattorusso
- CIRPeB Università di Napoli "Federico II" Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Napoli, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche, Università Della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via Vivaldi 43, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Luca Domenico D'Andrea
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta", CNR, Via M. Bianco 9, 20131, Milano, Italy.
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De Rosa L, Di Stasi R, D'Andrea LD. Pro-angiogenic peptides in biomedicine. Arch Biochem Biophys 2018; 660:72-86. [DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2018.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Capasso D, Di Gaetano S, Celentano V, Diana D, Festa L, Di Stasi R, De Rosa L, Fattorusso R, D'Andrea LD. Unveiling a VEGF-mimetic peptide sequence in the IQGAP1 protein. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2018; 13:1619-1629. [PMID: 28685787 DOI: 10.1039/c7mb00190h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The ability to modulate angiogenesis by chemical tools has several important applications in different scientific fields. With the perspective of finding novel proangiogenic molecules, we searched peptide sequences with a chemical profile similar to that of the QK peptide, a well described VEGF mimetic peptide. We found that residues 1617-1627 of the IQGAP1 protein show molecular features similar to those of the QK peptide sequence. The IQGAP1-derived synthetic peptide was analyzed by NMR spectroscopy and its biological activity was characterized in endothelial cells. These studies showed that this IQGAP1-derived peptide has a biological activity similar to that of VEGF and could be considered as a novel tool for reparative angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenica Capasso
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Napoli "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, Napoli, Italy
| | - Sonia Di Gaetano
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, Napoli, 80134, Italy.
| | - Veronica Celentano
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, Napoli, 80134, Italy.
| | - Donatella Diana
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, Napoli, 80134, Italy.
| | - Luisa Festa
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, Napoli, 80134, Italy.
| | - Rossella Di Stasi
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, Napoli, 80134, Italy.
| | - Lucia De Rosa
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, Napoli, 80134, Italy.
| | - Roberto Fattorusso
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche, Università della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Luca D D'Andrea
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, Napoli, 80134, Italy.
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Diana D, Di Salvo C, Celentano V, De Rosa L, Romanelli A, Fattorusso R, D'Andrea LD. Conformational stabilization of a β-hairpin through a triazole–tryptophan interaction. Org Biomol Chem 2018; 16:787-795. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ob02815f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Triazole and indole rings stabilize a β-hairpin conformation through an aromatic–aromatic interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lucia De Rosa
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini
- CNR
- Napoli
- Italy
| | | | - Roberto Fattorusso
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali
- Biologiche e Farmaceutiche
- Università della Campania “L. Vanvitelli”
- Caserta
- Italy
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