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Li H, Hou Z, Wang Y, Zhou Z, Cai J, Xin Q, Yin F, Li Z, Xu N. Methodology of stable peptide based on propargylated sulfonium. Biochem Biophys Rep 2023; 35:101508. [PMID: 37448811 PMCID: PMC10336417 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2023.101508] [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: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptides can be used as effective molecular tool for covalent modification of proteins and play important roles in ligand directed covalent modification. Tyr-selective protein modifications exert a profound impact on protein functionality. Here, we developed a general strategy that involves nucleophilic addition of alkyne for tyrosine modification. The terminal alkyne of propargyl sulfonium is motivated by the sulfonium center to react with phenolic hydroxyl. This approach provides a straightforward method for tyrosine modification due to its high yield in aqueous solution at physiological temperature. In addition, cyclic peptides could be obtained via adjusting pH to 8.0 from peptides consisting of tyrosine and methionine modified by propargyl bromide, and the resulting cyclic peptides are proved to have better stability, excellent 2-mercaptopyridine resistance and improved cellular uptakes. Furthermore, molecules made from the propargylated sulfonium have the potential to be used as warheads against tyrosine containing biomolecules. Collectively, we develop a direct and uncomplicated technique for modifying tyrosine residues, the strategy concerned can be widely utilized to construct stable peptides and biomolecules imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zhanfeng Hou
- Pingshan Translational Medicine Center, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yuena Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Ziyuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jin Cai
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Qilei Xin
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Feng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Pingshan Translational Medicine Center, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zigang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Pingshan Translational Medicine Center, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Naihan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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Liu X, Zhang P, Liu Y, Li J, Yang D, Liu Z, Jiang L. Anti- Toxoplasma gondii Effects of Lipopeptide Derivatives of Lycosin-I. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:477. [PMID: 37624234 PMCID: PMC10467082 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15080477] [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: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), is a serious zoonotic parasitic disease. We previously found that Lycosin-I exhibited anti-T. gondii activity, but its serum stability was not good enough. In this study, we aimed to improve the stability and activity of Lycosin-I through fatty acid chain modification, so as to find a better anti-T. gondii drug candidate. The α/ε-amino residues of different lysine residues of Lycosin-I were covalently coupled with lauric acid to obtain eight lipopeptides, namely L-C12, L-C12-1, L-C12-2, L-C12-3, L-C12-4, L-C12-5, L-C12-6, and L-C12-7. Among these eight lipopeptides, L-C12 showed the best activity against T. gondii in vitro in a trypan blue assay. We then conjugated a shorter length fatty chain, aminocaproic acid, at the same modification site of L-C12, namely L-an. The anti-T. gondii effects of Lycosin-I, L-C12 and L-an were evaluated via an invasion assay, proliferation assay and plaque assay in vitro. A mouse model acutely infected with T. gondii tachyzoites was established to evaluate their efficacy in vivo. The serum stability of L-C12 and L-an was improved, and they showed comparable or even better activity than Lycosin-I did in inhibiting the invasion and proliferation of tachyzoites. L-an effectively prolonged the survival time of mice acutely infected with T. gondii. These results suggest that appropriate fatty acid chain modification can improve serum stability and enhance anti-T. gondii effect of Lycosin-I. The lipopeptide derivatives of Lycosin-I have potential as a novel anti-T. gondii drug candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohua Liu
- Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; (X.L.); (Y.L.); (J.L.); (D.Y.)
| | - Peng Zhang
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; (P.Z.); (Z.L.)
| | - Yuan Liu
- Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; (X.L.); (Y.L.); (J.L.); (D.Y.)
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; (X.L.); (Y.L.); (J.L.); (D.Y.)
| | - Dongqian Yang
- Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; (X.L.); (Y.L.); (J.L.); (D.Y.)
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- The National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; (P.Z.); (Z.L.)
| | - Liping Jiang
- Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; (X.L.); (Y.L.); (J.L.); (D.Y.)
- China-Africa Research Center of Infectious Diseases, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
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Li F, Wu S, Chen N, Zhu J, Zhao X, Zhang P, Zeng Y, Liu Z. Fatty Acid Modification of the Anticancer Peptide LVTX-9 to Enhance Its Cytotoxicity against Malignant Melanoma Cells. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13120867. [PMID: 34941705 PMCID: PMC8708390 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13120867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Spider venom is a valuable resource for the development of novel anticancer drugs. In this study, we focused on novel linear amphipathic α-helical anticancer peptide LVTX-9, which was derived from the cDNA library of the venom gland of the spider Lycosa vittata. The cytotoxicity of LVTX-9 against murine melanoma cells in the range of 1.56-200 μM was tested and found to be significantly lower than those of most anticancer peptides reported. Its IC50 was determined to be 59.2 ± 19.8 μM in a serum or 76.3 ± 12.7 μM in serum-free medium. Fatty acid modification is a promising strategy for improving peptide performance. Therefore, to enhance the cytotoxic activity of LVTX-9, fatty acid modification of this peptide was performed, and five different carbon chain length lipopeptides named LVTX-9-C12-C20 were produced. Among them, the lipopeptide LVTX-9-C18 showed the highest cytotoxic activity in relation to B16-F10 cells, whether in a serum or serum-free medium. Most importantly, the cytotoxic activity of LVTX-9-C18 was improved by about 12.9 times in a serum medium or 19.3 times in a serum-free medium compared to that of LVTX-9. Subsequently, assays including scanning electron microscopy, trypan blue staining, lactate dehydrogenase leakage assay, and hemolytic activity could indicate that the potential direct cell membrane disruption is the main mechanism of LVTX-9-C18 to induce cancer cell death. Furthermore, the LVTX-9-C18 also showed strong cytotoxicity in relation to 3D B16-F10 spheroids, which indicates it might be a promising lead for developing anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengjiao Li
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; (F.L.); (S.W.); (N.C.); (J.Z.); (X.Z.)
| | - Saizhi Wu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; (F.L.); (S.W.); (N.C.); (J.Z.); (X.Z.)
| | - Ninglin Chen
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; (F.L.); (S.W.); (N.C.); (J.Z.); (X.Z.)
| | - Jingyu Zhu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; (F.L.); (S.W.); (N.C.); (J.Z.); (X.Z.)
| | - Xinxin Zhao
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; (F.L.); (S.W.); (N.C.); (J.Z.); (X.Z.)
| | - Peng Zhang
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; (F.L.); (S.W.); (N.C.); (J.Z.); (X.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Traditional Chinese Medicine Research (Hunan Normal University), Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Changsha 410081, China
- Correspondence: (P.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Z.L.)
| | - Youlin Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Traditional Chinese Medicine Research (Hunan Normal University), Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Changsha 410081, China
- Correspondence: (P.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Z.L.)
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; (F.L.); (S.W.); (N.C.); (J.Z.); (X.Z.)
- Correspondence: (P.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Z.L.)
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Zhang P, Jian C, Jian S, Zhang Q, Sun X, Nie L, Liu B, Li F, Li J, Liu M, Liang S, Zeng Y, Liu Z. Position Effect of Fatty Acid Modification on the Cytotoxicity and Antimetastasis Potential of the Cytotoxic Peptide Lycosin-I. J Med Chem 2019; 62:11108-11118. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Zhang T, Zhang H, He L, Wang Z, Dong W, Sun W, Zhang P. Potential Use of 1-25-dihydroxyvitamin D in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Papillary Thyroid Cancer. Med Sci Monit 2018; 24:1614-1623. [PMID: 29553126 PMCID: PMC5872905 DOI: 10.12659/msm.909544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low levels of 1-25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] in serum may be a risk factor for several tumor types. Also, high cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) expression is regarded to be important against tumor progression. We evaluated the potential importance of 1,25(OH)2D3 in the diagnosis and treatment of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). MATERIAL AND METHODS The preoperative serum level of 1,25(OH)2D3 was measured using a double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Vitamin D3 receptor (VDR) expression was detected by streptavidin-peroxidase immunohistochemical staining in PTC specimens. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were created to assess the diagnostic value of 1,25(OH)2D3. The effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on the proliferation and apoptosis of PTC cell lines were studied by Cell Counting Kit (CCK)-8 assay and Annexin V/propidium iodide staining, respectively. CAMP expression was measured by qRT-PCR and western blotting. Short interfering RNAs were used to reduce CAMP expression in PTC cell lines. RESULTS The preoperative serum level of 1,25(OH)2D3 in PTC was obviously lower than that in nodular goiter (NG) (P<0.05). The ROC curve suggested that 1,25(OH)2D3 might serve as a potential diagnostic value at a cutoff of 20.13 pg/mL, The VDR showed higher expression in PTC than in paired adjacent non-cancerous tissue. 1,25(OH)2D3 inhibited the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of PTC cells, and increased CAMP expression significantly, whereas CAMP knockdown demonstrated opposite effects. CONCLUSIONS 1,25(OH)2D3 may be a new, potential biomarker for the identification of PTC and NG. It may also become 1,25(OH)2D3 may a potential target for drug action to treat PTC through CAMP.
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Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel aliphatic acid-conjugated antimicrobial peptides as potential agents with anti-tumor, multidrug resistance-reversing activity and enhanced stability. Amino Acids 2017; 49:1831-1841. [PMID: 28831625 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-017-2482-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Compared with traditional anti-tumor drugs, antimicrobial peptides as novel anti-tumor agents have prominent advantages of higher specificity and circumvention of multi-drug resistance. BP100 is a multifunctional membrane-active peptide with high antimicrobial activity. Taking BP100 as a lead peptide, we designed and synthesized a series of aliphatic chain-conjugated peptides through solid-phase synthesis. Biological evaluation revealed that these peptides exhibited better anti-cancer activity than BP100. Further investigations revealed that these peptides could disrupt the cell membrane and trigger the cytochrome C release into cytoplasm, which ultimately resulted in apoptosis. Meanwhile, these peptides also exhibited effective anti-tumor activity against multidrug resistant cells and had multidrug resistance-reversing effect. Additionally, conjugation of aliphatic acid to those peptides could enhance their stability in plasma. In conclusion, aliphatic acid-modified peptides might be promising anti-tumor agents for cancer therapy.
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Dai Y, Cai X, Shi W, Bi X, Su X, Pan M, Li H, Lin H, Huang W, Qian H. Pro-apoptotic cationic host defense peptides rich in lysine or arginine to reverse drug resistance by disrupting tumor cell membrane. Amino Acids 2017; 49:1601-1610. [PMID: 28664269 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-017-2453-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Host defense peptides have been demonstrated to exhibit prominent advantages in cancer therapy with selective binding ability toward tumor cells via electrostatic attractions, which can overcome the limitations of traditional chemotherapy drugs, such as toxicity on non-malignant cells and the emergence of drug resistance. In this work, we redesigned and constructed a series of cationic peptides by inserting hydrophobic residues into hydrophilic surface or replacing lysine (K) with arginine (R), based on the experience from the preliminary work of host defense peptide B1. In-depth studies demonstrated that the engineered peptides exhibited more potent anti-cancer activity against various cancer cell lines and much lower toxicity to normal cells compared with B1. Further investigation revealed that compounds I-3 and I-7 could act on cancer cell membranes and subsequently alter the permeability, which facilitated obvious pro-apoptotic activity in paclitaxel-resistant cell line (MCF-7/Taxol). The result of mitochondrial membrane potential assay (ΔΨm) demonstrated that the peptides induced ΔΨm dissipation and mitochondrial depolarization. The caspase-3 cellular activity assay showed that the anti-cancer activity of peptides functioned via caspase-3-dependent apoptosis. The study yielded compound I-7 with superior properties for antineoplastic activity in comparison to B1, which makes it a promising potential candidate for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxuan Dai
- Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingguang Cai
- Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Shi
- Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinzhou Bi
- Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Su
- Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Miaobo Pan
- Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Huilan Li
- Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Haiyan Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Nanjing Medical University, 140 Hanzhong Road, Nanjing, 210029, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wenlong Huang
- Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hai Qian
- Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing, 210009, People's Republic of China.
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