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Adak A, Castelletto V, de Sousa A, Karatzas KA, Wilkinson C, Khunti N, Seitsonen J, Hamley IW. Self-Assembly and Antimicrobial Activity of Lipopeptides Containing Lysine-Rich Tripeptides. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:1205-1213. [PMID: 38204421 PMCID: PMC10865344 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
The conformation and self-assembly of two pairs of model lipidated tripeptides in aqueous solution are probed using a combination of spectroscopic methods along with cryogenic-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The palmitoylated lipopeptides comprise C16-YKK or C16-WKK (with two l-lysine residues) or their respective derivatives containing d-lysine (k), i.e., C16-Ykk and C16-Wkk. All four molecules self-assemble into spherical micelles which show structure factor effects in SAXS profiles due to intermicellar packing in aqueous solution. Consistent with micellar structures, the tripeptides in the coronas have a largely unordered conformation, as probed using spectroscopic methods. The molecules are found to have good cytocompatibility with fibroblasts at sufficiently low concentrations, although some loss of cell viability is noted at the highest concentrations examined (above the critical aggregation concentration of the lipopeptides, determined from fluorescence dye probe measurements). Preliminary tests also showed antimicrobial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anindyasundar Adak
- School
of Chemistry, Pharmacy and Food Biosciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AH, U.K.
| | - Valeria Castelletto
- School
of Chemistry, Pharmacy and Food Biosciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AH, U.K.
| | - Ana de Sousa
- School
of Chemistry, Pharmacy and Food Biosciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AH, U.K.
| | - Kimon-Andreas Karatzas
- School
of Chemistry, Pharmacy and Food Biosciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AH, U.K.
| | - Callum Wilkinson
- School
of Chemistry, Pharmacy and Food Biosciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AH, U.K.
| | - Nikul Khunti
- Diamond
Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0DE, U.K.
| | - Jani Seitsonen
- Nanomicroscopy
Center, Aalto University, Puumiehenkuja 2, FIN-02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Ian W. Hamley
- School
of Chemistry, Pharmacy and Food Biosciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AH, U.K.
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Zhao C, Chen H, Wang F, Zhang X. Amphiphilic self-assembly peptides: Rational strategies to design and delivery for drugs in biomedical applications. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2021; 208:112040. [PMID: 34425532 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2021.112040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Amphiphilic self-assembling peptides are widely used in tissue and cell engineering, antimicrobials, drug-delivery systems and other biomedical fields due to their good biocompatibility, functionality, flexibility of design and synthesis, and tremendous potential as delivery carriers for drugs. Currently, the design and study of amphipathic peptides by a bottom-up method to develop new biomedical materials have become a hot topic. However, defined rules have not been established for the design and development of self-assembled peptides. Therefore, the focus of this review is to summarize and provide several rational strategies for the design and study of amphiphilic self-assembly peptides. In addition, this paper also describes the types and general self-assembling mechanism of amphipathic peptides, and outlines their applications in the delivery of hydrophobic drugs, nucleic acid drugs, peptide drugs and vaccines. Amphiphilic self-assembled peptides are expected to exploit new functional materials for drug delivery and other applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunqian Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Carbohydrate-based Medicine, Institute of Biochemical and Biotechnological Drug, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hongyuan Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, People's Republic of China.
| | - Fengshan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Carbohydrate-based Medicine, Institute of Biochemical and Biotechnological Drug, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xinke Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, People's Republic of China.
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Soares BM, Sodré PT, Aguilar AM, Gerbelli BB, Pelin JNBD, Argüello KB, Silva ER, de Farias MA, Portugal RV, Schmuck C, Coutinho-Neto MD, Alves WA. Structure optimization of lipopeptide assemblies for aldol reactions in an aqueous medium. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:10953-10963. [PMID: 33913458 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp01060c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Four amphiphilic peptides were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated regarding their efficiency in the catalysis of direct aldol reactions in water. The lipopeptides differ by having a double lipid chain and a guanidinium pyrrole group functionalizing one Lys side chain. All the samples are composed of the amino acids l-proline (P), l-arginine (R), or l-lysine (K) functionalized with the cationic guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole unit (GCP), l-tryptophan (W), and l-glycine (G), covalently linked to one or two long aliphatic chains, leading to surfactant-like designs with controlled proline protonation state and different stereoselectivity. Critical aggregation concentrations (cac) were higher in the presence of the GCP group, suggesting that self-assembly depends on charge distribution along the peptide backbone. Cryogenic Transmission Electron Microscopy (Cryo-TEM) and Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) showed a rich polymorphism including spherical, cylindrical, and bilayer structures. Molecular dynamics simulations performed to assess the lipopeptide polymorphs revealed an excellent agreement with core-shell arrangements derived from SAXS data and provided an atomistic view of the changes incurred by modifying head groups and lipid chains. The resulting nanostructures behaved as excellent catalysts for aldol condensation reactions, in which superior conversions (>99%), high diastereoselectivities (ds = 94 : 6), and enantioselectivities (ee = 92%) were obtained. Our findings contribute to elucidate the effect of nanoscale organization of lipopeptide assemblies in the catalysis of aldol reactions in an aqueous environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna M Soares
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, 09210-580, Santo André, Brazil.
| | - Pedro T Sodré
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, 09210-580, Santo André, Brazil.
| | - Andrea M Aguilar
- Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, 09972-270, Diadema, Brazil
| | - Barbara B Gerbelli
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, 09210-580, Santo André, Brazil.
| | - Juliane N B D Pelin
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, 09210-580, Santo André, Brazil.
| | - Karina B Argüello
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, 09210-580, Santo André, Brazil.
| | - Emerson R Silva
- Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, 04023-062, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo A de Farias
- Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory, CNPEM, 13083-970, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo V Portugal
- Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory, CNPEM, 13083-970, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Carsten Schmuck
- Institute for Organic Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117, Essen, Germany
| | - Maurício D Coutinho-Neto
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, 09210-580, Santo André, Brazil.
| | - Wendel A Alves
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, 09210-580, Santo André, Brazil.
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Hamley IW. Biocatalysts Based on Peptide and Peptide Conjugate Nanostructures. Biomacromolecules 2021; 22:1835-1855. [PMID: 33843196 PMCID: PMC8154259 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c00240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Peptides and their conjugates (to lipids, bulky N-terminals, or other groups) can self-assemble into nanostructures such as fibrils, nanotubes, coiled coil bundles, and micelles, and these can be used as platforms to present functional residues in order to catalyze a diversity of reactions. Peptide structures can be used to template catalytic sites inspired by those present in natural enzymes as well as simpler constructs using individual catalytic amino acids, especially proline and histidine. The literature on the use of peptide (and peptide conjugate) α-helical and β-sheet structures as well as turn or disordered peptides in the biocatalysis of a range of organic reactions including hydrolysis and a variety of coupling reactions (e.g., aldol reactions) is reviewed. The simpler design rules for peptide structures compared to those of folded proteins permit ready ab initio design (minimalist approach) of effective catalytic structures that mimic the binding pockets of natural enzymes or which simply present catalytic motifs at high density on nanostructure scaffolds. Research on these topics is summarized, along with a discussion of metal nanoparticle catalysts templated by peptide nanostructures, especially fibrils. Research showing the high activities of different classes of peptides in catalyzing many reactions is highlighted. Advances in peptide design and synthesis methods mean they hold great potential for future developments of effective bioinspired and biocompatible catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian W. Hamley
- Department of Chemistry, University of Reading, RG6 6AD Reading, United Kingdom
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