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Li Z, Wu Q, Yan N. A structural atlas of druggable sites on Na v channels. Channels (Austin) 2024; 18:2287832. [PMID: 38033122 PMCID: PMC10732651 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2023.2287832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels govern membrane excitability by initiating and propagating action potentials. Consistent with their physiological significance, dysfunction, or mutations in these channels are associated with various channelopathies. Nav channels are thereby major targets for various clinical and investigational drugs. In addition, a large number of natural toxins, both small molecules and peptides, can bind to Nav channels and modulate their functions. Technological breakthrough in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has enabled the determination of high-resolution structures of eukaryotic and eventually human Nav channels, alone or in complex with auxiliary subunits, toxins, and drugs. These studies have not only advanced our comprehension of channel architecture and working mechanisms but also afforded unprecedented clarity to the molecular basis for the binding and mechanism of action (MOA) of prototypical drugs and toxins. In this review, we will provide an overview of the recent advances in structural pharmacology of Nav channels, encompassing the structural map for ligand binding on Nav channels. These findings have established a vital groundwork for future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhangqiang Li
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structures, State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Qiurong Wu
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structures, State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Nieng Yan
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structures, State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
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2
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Luo S, Zhou X, Wu M, Wang G, Wang L, Feng X, Wu H, Luo R, Lu M, Ju J, Wang W, Yuan L, Luo X, Peng D, Yang L, Zhang Q, Chen M, Liang S, Dong X, Hao G, Zhang Y, Liu Z. Optimizing Nav1.7-Targeted Analgesics: Revealing Off-Target Effects of Spider Venom-Derived Peptide Toxins and Engineering Strategies for Improvement. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2406656. [PMID: 39248322 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202406656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2024] [Revised: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024]
Abstract
The inhibition of Nav1.7 is a promising strategy for the development of analgesic treatments. Spider venom-derived peptide toxins are recognized as significant sources of Nav1.7 inhibitors. However, their development has been impeded by limited selectivity. In this study, eight peptide toxins from three distinct spider venom Nav channel families demonstrated robust inhibition of hNav1.7, rKv4.2, and rKv4.3 (rKv4.2/4.3) currents, exhibiting a similar mode of action. The analysis of structure and function relationship revealed a significant overlap in the pharmacophore responsible for inhibiting hNav1.7 and rKv4.2 by HNTX-III, although Lys25 seems to play a more pivotal role in the inhibition of rKv4.2/4.3. Pharmacophore-guided rational design is employed for the development of an mGpTx1 analogue, mGpTx1-SA, which retains its inhibition of hNav1.7 while significantly reducing its inhibition of rKv4.2/4.3 and eliminating cardiotoxicity. Moreover, mGpTx1-SA demonstrates potent analgesic effects in both inflammatory and neuropathic pain models, accompanied by an improved in vivo safety profile. The results suggest that off-target inhibition of rKv4.2/4.3 by specific spider peptide toxins targeting hNav1.7 may arise from a conserved binding motif. This insight promises to facilitate the design of hNav1.7-specific analgesics, aimed at minimizing rKv4.2/4.3 inhibition and associated toxicity, thereby enhancing their suitability for therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Luo
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Xi Zhou
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Meijing Wu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Gongxin Wang
- Henan Academy of Innovations in Medical science, Institute of Electrophysiology, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450000, China
| | - Li Wang
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Xujun Feng
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Hang Wu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Ren Luo
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Minjuan Lu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Junxian Ju
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Wenxing Wang
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Lei Yuan
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Xiaoqing Luo
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Dezheng Peng
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province for Advanced Carbon-based Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Science and Technology, Yueyang, Hunan, 414006, China
| | - Li Yang
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Qingfeng Zhang
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Minzhi Chen
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Songping Liang
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Xiuming Dong
- Department of Research, Scope Research Institute of Electrophysiology, Kaifeng, 475004, China
| | - Guoliang Hao
- Henan Academy of Innovations in Medical science, Institute of Electrophysiology, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450000, China
- Department of Research, Scope Research Institute of Electrophysiology, Kaifeng, 475004, China
| | - Yunxiao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province for Advanced Carbon-based Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Science and Technology, Yueyang, Hunan, 414006, China
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
- Peptide and small molecule drug R&D platform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
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Wang X, Luo H, Peng X, Chen J. Spider and scorpion knottins targeting voltage-gated sodium ion channels in pain signaling. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 227:116465. [PMID: 39102991 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116465] [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: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
In sensory neurons that transmit pain signals, whether acute or chronic, voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are crucial for regulating excitability. NaV1.1, NaV1.3, NaV1.6, NaV1.7, NaV1.8, and NaV1.9 have been demonstrated and defined their functional roles in pain signaling based on their biophysical properties and distinct patterns of expression in each subtype of sensory neurons. Scorpions and spiders are traditional Chinese medicinal materials, belonging to the arachnid class. Most of the studied species of them have evolved venom peptides that exhibit a wide variety of knottins specifically targeting VGSCs with subtype selectivity and conformational specificity. This review provides an overview on the exquisite knottins from scorpion and spider venoms targeting pain-related NaV channels, describing the sequences and the structural features as well as molecular determinants that influence their selectivity on special subtype and at particular conformation, with an aim for the development of novel research tools on NaV channels and analgesics with minimal adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiting Wang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China
| | - Huan Luo
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China
| | - Xiaozhen Peng
- School of Public Health & Laboratory Medicine, Hunan University of Medicine, Huaihua 418000, China.
| | - Jinjun Chen
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China; Hunan Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Cell Mechanics and Function Analysis, Changsha 418000, China.
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4
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Smith HL, Broszczak DA, Bryan SE, Norton RS, Prentis PJ. Molecular Insights into the Low Complexity Secreted Venom of Calliactis polypus. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae154. [PMID: 39018436 PMCID: PMC11299110 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae154] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Sea anemones are venomous animals that rely on their venom for prey capture, defense against predators, and intraspecific competition. Currently, comprehensive molecular and evolutionary analyses of the toxin repertoire for sea anemones are limited by a lack of proteomic data for most species. In this study, proteo-transcriptomic analysis was used to expand our knowledge of the proteinaceous components of sea anemone venom by determining the secreted venom proteome of Calliactis polypus. Electromechanical stimulation was used to obtain the secreted venom of C. polypus. We identified a low complexity proteome that was dominated by toxins with similarity to known neurotoxins, as well as six novel toxin candidates. The novel putative toxin candidates were found to be taxonomically restricted to species from the superfamily Metridioidea. Furthermore, the secreted venom of C. polypus had only three putative toxins in common with the venom of acontia from the same species and little similarity with the secreted venom of closely related species. Overall, this demonstrates that regionalized and lineage-specific variability in toxin abundance is common among sea anemone species. Moreover, the limited complexity of the toxin repertoire found in C. polypus supports the idea that peptide neurotoxins make up the dominant toxin arsenal found in the venom of sea anemones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayden L Smith
- School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4000, Australia
| | - Daniel A Broszczak
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4000, Australia
| | - Scott E Bryan
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4000, Australia
| | - Raymond S Norton
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Peter J Prentis
- School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4000, Australia
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4000, Australia
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5
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Yu N, Yan Y, Han Q, Zhang L, Liu Z. Insecticidal toxicity of ω-Atypitoxin-Cs1a and its inhibitory effects on insect voltage-gated calcium channels. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2023; 79:4879-4885. [PMID: 37506304 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Excessive use of chemical insecticides raises concerns about insecticide resistance, urging the development of novel insecticides. Peptide neurotoxins from spider venom are an incredibly rich source of ion channel modulators with potent insecticidal activity. A neurotoxin U1-Atypitoxin-Cs1a from the spider Calommata signata was annotated previously. It was of interest to investigate its insecticidal activity and potential molecular targets. RESULTS Cs1a was heterologously expressed, purified and pharmacologically characterized here. The recombinant neurotoxin inhibited high-voltage-activated calcium channel currents with an median inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) value of 0.182 ± 0.026 μm on cockroach DUM neurons and thus was designated as ω-Atypitoxin-Cs1a. The recombinant Cs1a was toxic to three insect pests of agricultural importance, Nilaparvata lugens, Spodoptera frugiperda and Plutella xylostella with median lethal concentration (LD50 ) values of 0.121, 0.172 and 0.356 nmol g-1 , respectively, at 24 h postinjection. Cs1a was equivalently toxic to both insecticide-susceptible and -resistant insects. Cs1a exhibited low toxicity to Danio rerio with an LD50 of 2.316 nmol g-1 . CONCLUSION Our results suggest that ω-Atypitoxin-Cs1a is a potent CaV channel inhibitor and an attractive candidate reagent for pest control and resistance management. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Yu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yangyang Yan
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qianqian Han
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lingchun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zewen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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6
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Wubulikasimu A, He Z, Long Y, Yuan F, Hou W, Liao Q, Chen H, Rong M. Molecular mechanism of HNTX-I activates the intermediate-conductance Ca 2+-activated K + (IK) channels. Int J Biol Macromol 2023:125197. [PMID: 37285887 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125197] [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: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The IK channel, a potassium ion channel regulated by calcium ions and voltages in a bidirectional manner, has been implicated in a range of diseases. However, there are currently few compounds available that can target the IK channel with high potency and specificity. Hainantoxin-I (HNTX-I) is the first peptide activator of IK channel discovered so far, but its activity is not ideal, and the underlying mechanism interaction between HNTX-I toxin and IK channel remains unclear. Thus, our study aimed to enhance the potency of IK channel activating peptides derived from HNTX-I and elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the interaction between HNTX-I and the IK channel. By employing virtual alanine scanning mutagenesis, we generated 11 HNTX-I mutants using site-directed mutagenesis to pinpoint specific residues crucial for the HNTX-I and IK channel interaction. Subsequently, we identified key residues on the IK channel that are involved in the interaction with HNTX-I. Additionally, molecular docking was employed to guide the molecular engineering process and clarify the binding interface between HNTX-I and the IK channel. Our results demonstrate that HNTX-I primarily acts on the IK channel via the N-terminal amino acid, and its interaction with the IK channel is mediated by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, specifically the amino acid residues at positions 1, 3, 5, and 7 on HNTX-I. This study provides valuable insights into the peptide toxins that may serve as potential templates for the development of activators with enhanced potency and selectivity for the IK channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atikan Wubulikasimu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziyan He
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanping Long
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, People's Republic of China
| | - Fuchu Yuan
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenqian Hou
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiong Liao
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, People's Republic of China
| | - Haiyan Chen
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, People's Republic of China.
| | - Mingqiang Rong
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, People's Republic of China.
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7
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Mateos DL, Yarov-Yarovoy V. Structural modeling of peptide toxin-ion channel interactions using RosettaDock. Proteins 2023. [PMID: 36729043 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26474] [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: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Voltage-gated ion channels play essential physiological roles in action potential generation and propagation. Peptidic toxins from animal venoms target ion channels and provide useful scaffolds for the rational design of novel channel modulators with enhanced potency and subtype selectivity. Despite recent progress in obtaining experimental structures of peptide toxin-ion channel complexes, structural determination of peptide toxins bound to ion channels in physiologically important states remains challenging. Here we describe an application of RosettaDock approach to the structural modeling of peptide toxins interactions with ion channels. We tested this approach on 10 structures of peptide toxin-ion channel complexes and demonstrated that it can sample near-native structures in all tested cases. Our approach will be useful for improving the understanding of the molecular mechanism of natural peptide toxin modulation of ion channel gating and for the structural modeling of novel peptide-based ion channel modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Lopez Mateos
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA.,Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Vladimir Yarov-Yarovoy
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA.,Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA.,Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
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8
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Jiang D, Zhang J, Xia Z. Structural Advances in Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:908867. [PMID: 35721169 PMCID: PMC9204039 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.908867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels are responsible for the rapid rising-phase of action potentials in excitable cells. Over 1,000 mutations in NaV channels are associated with human diseases including epilepsy, periodic paralysis, arrhythmias and pain disorders. Natural toxins and clinically-used small-molecule drugs bind to NaV channels and modulate their functions. Recent advances from cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of NaV channels reveal invaluable insights into the architecture, activation, fast inactivation, electromechanical coupling, ligand modulation and pharmacology of eukaryotic NaV channels. These structural analyses not only demonstrate molecular mechanisms for NaV channel structure and function, but also provide atomic level templates for rational development of potential subtype-selective therapeutics. In this review, we summarize recent structural advances of eukaryotic NaV channels, highlighting the structural features of eukaryotic NaV channels as well as distinct modulation mechanisms by a wide range of modulators from natural toxins to synthetic small-molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daohua Jiang
- Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Daohua Jiang,
| | - Jiangtao Zhang
- Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhanyi Xia
- Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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9
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Huang G, Liu D, Wang W, Wu Q, Chen J, Pan X, Shen H, Yan N. High-resolution structures of human Na v1.7 reveal gating modulation through α-π helical transition of S6 IV. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110735. [PMID: 35476982 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Nav1.7 represents a preeminent target for next-generation analgesics for its critical role in pain sensation. Here we report a 2.2-Å resolution cryo-EM structure of wild-type (WT) Nav1.7 complexed with the β1 and β2 subunits that reveals several previously indiscernible cytosolic segments. Reprocessing of the cryo-EM data for our reported structures of Nav1.7(E406K) bound to various toxins identifies two distinct conformations of S6IV, one composed of α helical turns only and the other containing a π helical turn in the middle. The structure of ligand-free Nav1.7(E406K), determined at 3.5-Å resolution, is identical to the WT channel, confirming that binding of Huwentoxin IV or Protoxin II to VSDII allosterically induces the α → π transition of S6IV. The local secondary structural shift leads to contraction of the intracellular gate, closure of the fenestration on the interface of repeats I and IV, and rearrangement of the binding site for the fast inactivation motif.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaoxingyu Huang
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310024, China; Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310024, China
| | - Dongliang Liu
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310024, China; Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310024, China
| | - Weipeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qiurong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jiaofeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiaojing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Huaizong Shen
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310024, China; Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310024, China.
| | - Nieng Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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10
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Caruso L, Nadur NF, Brandão M, Peixoto Ferreira LDA, Lacerda RB, Graebin CS, Kümmerle AE. The Design of Multi-target Drugs to Treat Cardiovascular Diseases: Two (or more) Birds on one Stone. Curr Top Med Chem 2022; 22:366-394. [PMID: 35105288 DOI: 10.2174/1568026622666220201151248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) comprise a group of diseases and disorders of the heart and blood vessels, which together are the number one cause of death worldwide, being associated with multiple genetic and modifiable risk factors, and that may directly arise from different etiologies. For a long time, the search for cardiovascular drugs was based on the old paradigm "one compound - one target", which aims to obtain a highly potent and selective molecule with only one desired molecular target. Although historically successful in the last decades, this approach ignores the multiple causes and the multifactorial nature of CVD's. Thus, over time, treatment strategies for cardiovascular diseases have changed and, currently, pharmacological therapies for CVD are mainly based on the association of two or more drugs to control symptoms and reduce cardiovascular death. In this context, the development of multitarget drugs, i.e, compounds having the ability to act simultaneously at multiple sites, is an attractive and relevant strategy that can be even more advantageous to achieve predictable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics correlations as well as better patient compliance. In this review, we aim to highlight the efforts and rational pharmacological bases for the design of some promising multitargeted compounds to treat important cardiovascular diseases like heart failure, atherosclerosis, acute myocardial infarction, pulmonary arterial hypertension and arrhythmia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Caruso
- Laboratório de Diversidade Molecular e Química Medicinal (LaDMol-QM, Molecular Diversity and Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory), Chemistry Institute, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, 23897-000, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Gradução em Química (PPGQ), Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, 23897-000, Brazil
| | - Nathalia Fonseca Nadur
- Laboratório de Diversidade Molecular e Química Medicinal (LaDMol-QM, Molecular Diversity and Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory), Chemistry Institute, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, 23897-000, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Gradução em Química (PPGQ), Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, 23897-000, Brazil
| | - Marina Brandão
- Laboratório de Diversidade Molecular e Química Medicinal (LaDMol-QM, Molecular Diversity and Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory), Chemistry Institute, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, 23897-000, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Gradução em Química (PPGQ), Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, 23897-000, Brazil
| | - Larissa de Almeida Peixoto Ferreira
- Laboratório de Diversidade Molecular e Química Medicinal (LaDMol-QM, Molecular Diversity and Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory), Chemistry Institute, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, 23897-000, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Gradução em Química (PPGQ), Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, 23897-000, Brazil
| | - Renata Barbosa Lacerda
- Laboratório de Diversidade Molecular e Química Medicinal (LaDMol-QM, Molecular Diversity and Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory), Chemistry Institute, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, 23897-000, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Gradução em Química (PPGQ), Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, 23897-000, Brazil
| | - Cedric Stephan Graebin
- Laboratório de Diversidade Molecular e Química Medicinal (LaDMol-QM, Molecular Diversity and Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory), Chemistry Institute, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, 23897-000, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Gradução em Química (PPGQ), Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, 23897-000, Brazil
| | - Arthur Eugen Kümmerle
- Laboratório de Diversidade Molecular e Química Medicinal (LaDMol-QM, Molecular Diversity and Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory), Chemistry Institute, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, 23897-000, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Gradução em Química (PPGQ), Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, 23897-000, Brazil
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11
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Montnach J, Blömer LA, Lopez L, Filipis L, Meudal H, Lafoux A, Nicolas S, Chu D, Caumes C, Béroud R, Jopling C, Bosmans F, Huchet C, Landon C, Canepari M, De Waard M. In vivo spatiotemporal control of voltage-gated ion channels by using photoactivatable peptidic toxins. Nat Commun 2022; 13:417. [PMID: 35058427 PMCID: PMC8776733 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-27974-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Photoactivatable drugs targeting ligand-gated ion channels open up new opportunities for light-guided therapeutic interventions. Photoactivable toxins targeting ion channels have the potential to control excitable cell activities with low invasiveness and high spatiotemporal precision. As proof-of-concept, we develop HwTxIV-Nvoc, a UV light-cleavable and photoactivatable peptide that targets voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels and validate its activity in vitro in HEK293 cells, ex vivo in brain slices and in vivo on mice neuromuscular junctions. We find that HwTxIV-Nvoc enables precise spatiotemporal control of neuronal NaV channel function under all conditions tested. By creating multiple photoactivatable toxins, we demonstrate the broad applicability of this toxin-photoactivation technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Montnach
- l'institut du thorax, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV NANTES, F-44007, Nantes, France
- Laboratory of Excellence Ion Channels, Science & Therapeutics, F-06560, Valbonne, France
| | - Laila Ananda Blömer
- Laboratory of Excellence Ion Channels, Science & Therapeutics, F-06560, Valbonne, France
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5588, 38402, St Martin d'Hères, cedex, France
| | - Ludivine Lopez
- l'institut du thorax, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV NANTES, F-44007, Nantes, France
- Laboratory of Excellence Ion Channels, Science & Therapeutics, F-06560, Valbonne, France
- Smartox Biotechnology, 6 rue des Platanes, F-38120, Saint-Egrève, France
| | - Luiza Filipis
- Laboratory of Excellence Ion Channels, Science & Therapeutics, F-06560, Valbonne, France
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5588, 38402, St Martin d'Hères, cedex, France
| | - Hervé Meudal
- Center for Molecular Biophysics, CNRS, rue Charles Sadron, CS 80054, Orléans, 45071, France
| | - Aude Lafoux
- Therassay Platform, IRS2-Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Sébastien Nicolas
- l'institut du thorax, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV NANTES, F-44007, Nantes, France
- Laboratory of Excellence Ion Channels, Science & Therapeutics, F-06560, Valbonne, France
| | - Duong Chu
- Queen's University Faculty of Medicine, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Cécile Caumes
- Smartox Biotechnology, 6 rue des Platanes, F-38120, Saint-Egrève, France
| | - Rémy Béroud
- Smartox Biotechnology, 6 rue des Platanes, F-38120, Saint-Egrève, France
| | - Chris Jopling
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094, Montpellier, France
| | - Frank Bosmans
- Department of Basic and Applied Medical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Corinne Huchet
- Therassay Platform, IRS2-Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Céline Landon
- Center for Molecular Biophysics, CNRS, rue Charles Sadron, CS 80054, Orléans, 45071, France
| | - Marco Canepari
- Laboratory of Excellence Ion Channels, Science & Therapeutics, F-06560, Valbonne, France
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5588, 38402, St Martin d'Hères, cedex, France
| | - Michel De Waard
- l'institut du thorax, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV NANTES, F-44007, Nantes, France.
- Laboratory of Excellence Ion Channels, Science & Therapeutics, F-06560, Valbonne, France.
- Smartox Biotechnology, 6 rue des Platanes, F-38120, Saint-Egrève, France.
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12
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Diochot S. Pain-related toxins in scorpion and spider venoms: a face to face with ion channels. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2021; 27:e20210026. [PMID: 34925480 PMCID: PMC8667759 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2021-0026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain is a common symptom induced during envenomation by spiders and scorpions.
Toxins isolated from their venom have become essential tools for studying the
functioning and physiopathological role of ion channels, as they modulate their
activity. In particular, toxins that induce pain relief effects can serve as a
molecular basis for the development of future analgesics in humans. This review
provides a summary of the different scorpion and spider toxins that directly
interact with pain-related ion channels, with inhibitory or stimulatory effects.
Some of these toxins were shown to affect pain modalities in different animal
models providing information on the role played by these channels in the pain
process. The close interaction of certain gating-modifier toxins with membrane
phospholipids close to ion channels is examined along with molecular approaches
to improve selectivity, affinity or bioavailability in vivo for
therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Diochot
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7275 et Université Côte d'Azur (UCA), 06560 Valbonne, France. Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Université Côte d'Azur Valbonne France
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13
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Lopez L, Montnach J, Oliveira-Mendes B, Khakh K, Thomas B, Lin S, Caumes C, Wesolowski S, Nicolas S, Servent D, Cohen C, Béroud R, Benoit E, De Waard M. Synthetic Analogues of Huwentoxin-IV Spider Peptide With Altered Human NaV1.7/NaV1.6 Selectivity Ratios. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:798588. [PMID: 34988086 PMCID: PMC8722715 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.798588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Huwentoxin-IV (HwTx-IV), a peptide discovered in the venom of the Chinese bird spider Cyriopagopus schmidti, has been reported to be a potent antinociceptive compound due to its action on the genetically-validated NaV1.7 pain target. Using this peptide for antinociceptive applications in vivo suffers from one major drawback, namely its negative impact on the neuromuscular system. Although studied only recently, this effect appears to be due to an interaction between the peptide and the NaV1.6 channel subtype located at the presynaptic level. The aim of this work was to investigate how HwTx-IV could be modified in order to alter the original human (h) NaV1.7/NaV1.6 selectivity ratio of 23. Nineteen HwTx-IV analogues were chemically synthesized and tested for their blocking effects on the Na+ currents flowing through these two channel subtypes stably expressed in cell lines. Dose-response curves for these analogues were generated, thanks to the use of an automated patch-clamp system. Several key amino acid positions were targeted owing to the information provided by earlier structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies. Among the analogues tested, the potency of HwTx-IV E4K was significantly improved for hNaV1.6, leading to a decreased hNaV1.7/hNaV1.6 selectivity ratio (close to 1). Similar decreased selectivity ratios, but with increased potency for both subtypes, were observed for HwTx-IV analogues that combine a substitution at position 4 with a modification of amino acid 1 or 26 (HwTx-IV E1G/E4G and HwTx-IV E4K/R26Q). In contrast, increased selectivity ratios (>46) were obtained if the E4K mutation was combined to an additional double substitution (R26A/Y33W) or simply by further substituting the C-terminal amidation of the peptide by a carboxylated motif, linked to a marked loss of potency on hNaV1.6 in this latter case. These results demonstrate that it is possible to significantly modulate the selectivity ratio for these two channel subtypes in order to improve the potency of a given analogue for hNaV1.6 and/or hNaV1.7 subtypes. In addition, selective analogues for hNaV1.7, possessing better safety profiles, were produced to limit neuromuscular impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludivine Lopez
- L’institut du Thorax, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV NANTES, Nantes, France
| | - Jérôme Montnach
- L’institut du Thorax, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV NANTES, Nantes, France
| | | | | | | | - Sophia Lin
- Xenon Pharmaceuticals, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Denis Servent
- Département Médicaments et Technologies pour La Santé (DMTS), Service d’Ingénierie Moléculaire pour La Santé (SIMoS), ERL CNRS/CEA, Institut des Sciences du Vivant Frédéric Joliot, CEA, Université Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | | | | | - Evelyne Benoit
- Département Médicaments et Technologies pour La Santé (DMTS), Service d’Ingénierie Moléculaire pour La Santé (SIMoS), ERL CNRS/CEA, Institut des Sciences du Vivant Frédéric Joliot, CEA, Université Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Michel De Waard
- L’institut du Thorax, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV NANTES, Nantes, France
- Smartox Biotechnology, Saint-Egrève, France
- LabEx « Ion Channels, Science and Therapeutics », Valbonne, France
- *Correspondence: Michel De Waard,
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14
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Neff RA, Wickenden AD. Selective Targeting of Nav1.7 with Engineered Spider Venom-Based Peptides. Channels (Austin) 2021; 15:179-193. [PMID: 33427574 PMCID: PMC7808416 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2020.1860382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
A fundamental mechanism that drives the propagation of electrical signals in the nervous system is the activation of voltage-gated sodium channels. The sodium channel subtype Nav1.7 is critical for the transmission of pain-related signaling, with gain-of-function mutations in Nav1.7 resulting in various painful pathologies. Loss-of-function mutations cause complete insensitivity to pain and anosmia in humans that otherwise have normal nervous system function, rendering Nav1.7 an attractive target for the treatment of pain. Despite this, no Nav1.7 selective therapeutic has been approved for use as an analgesic to date. Here we present a summary of research that has focused on engineering peptides found in spider venoms to produce Nav1.7 selective antagonists. We discuss the progress that has been made on various scaffolds from different venom families and highlight the challenges that remain in the effort to produce a Nav1.7 selective, venom-based analgesic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A. Neff
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Alan D. Wickenden
- Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, San Diego, CA, USA
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15
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Sanches K, Wai DCC, Norton RS. Conformational dynamics in peptide toxins: Implications for receptor interactions and molecular design. Toxicon 2021; 201:127-140. [PMID: 34454969 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2021.08.020] [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: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Peptide toxins are potent and often exquisitely selective probes of the structure and function of ion channels and receptors, and are therefore of significant interest to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries as both pharmacological tools and therapeutic leads. The three-dimensional structures of peptide toxins are essential as a basis for understanding their structure-activity relationships and their binding to target receptors, as well as in guiding the design of analogues with modified potency and/or selectivity for key targets. NMR spectroscopy has played a key role in elucidating the structures of peptide toxins and probing their structure-function relationships. In this article, we highlight the additional important contribution of NMR to characterising the dynamics of peptide toxins. We also compare the information available from NMR measurements with that afforded by molecular dynamics simulations. We describe several examples of the importance of dynamics measurements over a range of timescales for understanding the structure-function relationships of peptide toxins and their receptor engagement. Peptide toxins that inhibit the voltage-gated potassium channel KV1.3 with pM affinities display different degrees of conformational flexibility, even though they contain multiple disulfide bonds, and this flexibility can affect the relative orientation of residues that have been shown to be critical for channel binding. Information on the dynamic properties of peptide toxins is important in the design of analogues or mimetics where receptor-bound structures are not available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karoline Sanches
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia; ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Dorothy C C Wai
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Raymond S Norton
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia; ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia.
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16
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Smallwood TB, Clark RJ. Advances in venom peptide drug discovery: where are we at and where are we heading? Expert Opin Drug Discov 2021; 16:1163-1173. [PMID: 33914674 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2021.1922386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Animal venoms are a complex mixture of bioactive molecules that have evolved over millions of years for prey capture and defense from predators. Venom consists of many different types of molecules, with disulfide-rich peptides being a major component in most venoms. The study of these potent and highly selective molecules has led to the development of venom-derived drugs for diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic pain. As technologies have improved, more bioactive peptides have been discovered from venomous animals. Many of these molecules may have applications as tools for understanding normal and disease physiology, therapeutics, cosmetics or in agriculture.Areas covered: This article reviews venom-derived drugs approved by the FDA and venom-derived peptides currently in development. It discusses the challenges faced by venom-derived peptide drugs during drug development and the future for venom-derived peptides.Expert opinion: New techniques such as toxin driven discovery are expanding the pipeline of venom-derived peptides. There are many venom-derived peptides currently in preclinical and clinical trials that would have remained undiscovered using traditional approaches. A renewed focus on venoms, with advances in technology, will broaden the diversity of venom-derived peptide therapeutics and expand our knowledge of their molecular targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor B Smallwood
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
| | - Richard J Clark
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
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17
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Wisedchaisri G, Tonggu L, Gamal El-Din TM, McCord E, Zheng N, Catterall WA. Structural Basis for High-Affinity Trapping of the Na V1.7 Channel in Its Resting State by Tarantula Toxin. Mol Cell 2021; 81:38-48.e4. [PMID: 33232657 PMCID: PMC8043720 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.10.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channels initiate electrical signals and are frequently targeted by deadly gating-modifier neurotoxins, including tarantula toxins, which trap the voltage sensor in its resting state. The structural basis for tarantula-toxin action remains elusive because of the difficulty of capturing the functionally relevant form of the toxin-channel complex. Here, we engineered the model sodium channel NaVAb with voltage-shifting mutations and the toxin-binding site of human NaV1.7, an attractive pain target. This mutant chimera enabled us to determine the cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the channel functionally arrested by tarantula toxin. Our structure reveals a high-affinity resting-state-specific toxin-channel interaction between a key lysine residue that serves as a "stinger" and penetrates a triad of carboxyl groups in the S3-S4 linker of the voltage sensor. By unveiling this high-affinity binding mode, our studies establish a high-resolution channel-docking and resting-state locking mechanism for huwentoxin-IV and provide guidance for developing future resting-state-targeted analgesic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lige Tonggu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | | | - Eedann McCord
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Ning Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - William A Catterall
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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18
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Venom peptides in cancer therapy: An updated review on cellular and molecular aspects. Pharmacol Res 2020; 164:105327. [PMID: 33276098 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.105327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Based on the high incidence and mortality rates of cancer, its therapy remains one of the most vital challenges in the field of medicine. Consequently, enhancing the efficacy of currently applied treatments and finding novel strategies are of great importance for cancer treatment. Venoms are important sources of a variety of bioactive compounds including salts, small molecules, macromolecules, proteins, and peptides that are defined as toxins. They can exhibit different pharmacological effects, and in recent years, their anti-tumor activities have gained significant attention. Several different compounds are responsible for the anti-tumor activity of venoms, and peptides are one of them. In the present review, we discuss the possible anti-tumor activities of venom peptides by highlighting molecular pathways and mechanisms through which these molecules can act effectively. Venom peptides can induce cell death in cancer cells and can substantially enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Also, the venom peptides can mitigate the migration of cancer cells via suppression of angiogenesis and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Notably, nanoparticles have been applied in enhancing the bioavailability of venom peptides and providing targeted delivery, thereby leading to their elevated anti-tumor activity and potential application for cancer therapy.
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19
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Peschel A, Cardoso FC, Walker AA, Durek T, Stone MRL, Braga Emidio N, Dawson PE, Muttenthaler M, King GF. Two for the Price of One: Heterobivalent Ligand Design Targeting Two Binding Sites on Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels Slows Ligand Dissociation and Enhances Potency. J Med Chem 2020; 63:12773-12785. [PMID: 33078946 PMCID: PMC7667638 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Voltage-gated
sodium (NaV) channels are pore-forming
transmembrane proteins that play essential roles in excitable cells,
and they are key targets for antiepileptic, antiarrhythmic, and analgesic
drugs. We implemented a heterobivalent design strategy to modulate
the potency, selectivity, and binding kinetics of NaV channel
ligands. We conjugated μ-conotoxin KIIIA, which occludes the
pore of the NaV channels, to an analogue of huwentoxin-IV,
a spider-venom peptide that allosterically modulates channel gating.
Bioorthogonal hydrazide and copper-assisted azide–alkyne cycloaddition
conjugation chemistries were employed to generate heterobivalent ligands
using polyethylene glycol linkers spanning 40–120 Å. The
ligand with an 80 Å linker had the most pronounced bivalent effects,
with a significantly slower dissociation rate and 4–24-fold
higher potency compared to those of the monovalent peptides for the
human NaV1.4 channel. This study highlights the power of
heterobivalent ligand design and expands the repertoire of pharmacological
probes for exploring the function of NaV channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Peschel
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Fernanda C Cardoso
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Andrew A Walker
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Thomas Durek
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - M Rhia L Stone
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Nayara Braga Emidio
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Philip E Dawson
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Markus Muttenthaler
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.,Institute of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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20
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Gao S, Na R, Yang L, Yu H, Zhao X, Huang X. Investigation of binding modes of spider toxin–human voltage-gated sodium channel subtybe 1.7. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 39:4981-4989. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1783363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shasha Gao
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Risong Na
- College of plant protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, P.R China
| | - Lianjuan Yang
- Department of Mycology, Shanghai Dermatology Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Yu
- College of Science, Beihua Univesrity, Jilin, China
| | - Xi Zhao
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xuri Huang
- College of plant protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, P.R China
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21
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Employing NaChBac for cryo-EM analysis of toxin action on voltage-gated Na + channels in nanodisc. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:14187-14193. [PMID: 32513729 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1922903117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
NaChBac, the first bacterial voltage-gated Na+ (Nav) channel to be characterized, has been the prokaryotic prototype for studying the structure-function relationship of Nav channels. Discovered nearly two decades ago, the structure of NaChBac has not been determined. Here we present the single particle electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) analysis of NaChBac in both detergent micelles and nanodiscs. Under both conditions, the conformation of NaChBac is nearly identical to that of the potentially inactivated NavAb. Determining the structure of NaChBac in nanodiscs enabled us to examine gating modifier toxins (GMTs) of Nav channels in lipid bilayers. To study GMTs in mammalian Nav channels, we generated a chimera in which the extracellular fragment of the S3 and S4 segments in the second voltage-sensing domain from Nav1.7 replaced the corresponding sequence in NaChBac. Cryo-EM structures of the nanodisc-embedded chimera alone and in complex with HuwenToxin IV (HWTX-IV) were determined to 3.5 and 3.2 Å resolutions, respectively. Compared to the structure of HWTX-IV-bound human Nav1.7, which was obtained at an overall resolution of 3.2 Å, the local resolution of the toxin has been improved from ∼6 to ∼4 Å. This resolution enabled visualization of toxin docking. NaChBac can thus serve as a convenient surrogate for structural studies of the interactions between GMTs and Nav channels in a membrane environment.
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22
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Chow CY, Absalom N, Biggs K, King GF, Ma L. Venom-derived modulators of epilepsy-related ion channels. Biochem Pharmacol 2020; 181:114043. [PMID: 32445870 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2020.114043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Epilepsy is characterised by spontaneous recurrent seizures that are caused by an imbalance between neuronal excitability and inhibition. Since ion channels play fundamental roles in the generation and propagation of action potentials as well as neurotransmitter release at a subset of excitatory and inhibitory synapses, their dysfunction has been linked to a wide variety of epilepsies. Indeed, these unique proteins are the major biological targets for antiepileptic drugs. Selective targeting of a specific ion channel subtype remains challenging for small molecules, due to the high level of homology among members of the same channel family. As a consequence, there is a growing trend to target ion channels with biologics. Venoms are the best known natural source of ion channel modulators, and venom peptides are increasingly recognised as potential therapeutics due to their high selectivity and potency gained through millions of years of evolutionary selection pressure. Here we describe the major ion channel families involved in the pathogenesis of various types of epilepsy, including voltage-gated Na+, K+, Ca2+ channels, Cys-loop receptors, ionotropic glutamate receptors and P2X receptors, and currently available venom-derived peptides that target these channel proteins. Although only a small number of venom peptides have successfully progressed to the clinic, there is reason to be optimistic about their development as antiepileptic drugs, notwithstanding the challenges associated with development of any class of peptide drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Yuen Chow
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Nathan Absalom
- Brain and Mind Centre, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Kimberley Biggs
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Glenn F King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Linlin Ma
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia.
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23
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Neff RA, Flinspach M, Gibbs A, Shih AY, Minassian NA, Liu Y, Fellows R, Libiger O, Young S, Pennington MW, Hunter MJ, Wickenden AD. Comprehensive engineering of the tarantula venom peptide huwentoxin-IV to inhibit the human voltage-gated sodium channel hNav1.7. J Biol Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9258(17)49888-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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24
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Neff RA, Flinspach M, Gibbs A, Shih AY, Minassian NA, Liu Y, Fellows R, Libiger O, Young S, Pennington MW, Hunter MJ, Wickenden AD. Comprehensive engineering of the tarantula venom peptide huwentoxin-IV to inhibit the human voltage-gated sodium channel hNa v1.7. J Biol Chem 2019; 295:1315-1327. [PMID: 31871053 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.011318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain is a significant public health burden in the United States, and current treatment approaches rely heavily on opioids, which often have limited efficacy and can lead to addiction. In humans, functional loss of the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7 leads to pain insensitivity without deficits in the central nervous system. Accordingly, discovery of a selective Nav1.7 antagonist should provide an analgesic without abuse liability and an improved side-effect profile. Huwentoxin-IV, a component of tarantula venom, potently blocks sodium channels and is an attractive scaffold for engineering a Nav1.7-selective molecule. To define the functional impact of alterations in huwentoxin-IV sequence, we produced a library of 373 point mutants and tested them for Nav1.7 and Nav1.2 activity. We then combined favorable individual changes to produce combinatorial mutants that showed further improvements in Nav1.7 potency (E1N, E4D, Y33W, Q34S-Nav1.7 pIC50 = 8.1 ± 0.08) and increased selectivity over other Nav isoforms (E1N, R26K, Q34S, G36I, Nav1.7 pIC50 = 7.2 ± 0.1, Nav1.2 pIC50 = 6.1 ± 0.18, Nav1.3 pIC50 = 6.4 ± 1.0), Nav1.4 is inactive at 3 μm, and Nav1.5 is inactive at 10 μm We also substituted noncoded amino acids at select positions in huwentoxin-IV. Based on these results, we identify key determinants of huwentoxin's Nav1.7 inhibition and propose a model for huwentoxin-IV's interaction with Nav1.7. These findings uncover fundamental features of huwentoxin involved in Nav1.7 blockade, provide a foundation for additional optimization of this molecule, and offer a basis for the development of a safe and effective analgesic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Neff
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, San Diego, California 92121
| | - Mack Flinspach
- Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, San Diego, California 92121
| | - Alan Gibbs
- Structural Biology, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477
| | - Amy Y Shih
- Discovery Chemistry-Computational Chemistry, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, San Diego, California 92121
| | - Natali A Minassian
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, San Diego, California 92121
| | - Yi Liu
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, San Diego, California 92121
| | - Ross Fellows
- Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, San Diego, California 92121
| | - Ondrej Libiger
- Translational Medicine and Early Development Statistics, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, San Diego, California 92121
| | - Stephanie Young
- Translational Medicine and Early Development Statistics, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, San Diego, California 92121
| | | | - Michael J Hunter
- Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, San Diego, California 92121
| | - Alan D Wickenden
- Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, San Diego, California 92121
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25
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Tzakoniati F, Xu H, Li T, Garcia N, Kugel C, Payandeh J, Koth CM, Tate EW. Development of Photocrosslinking Probes Based on Huwentoxin-IV to Map the Site of Interaction on Nav1.7. Cell Chem Biol 2019; 27:306-313.e4. [PMID: 31732432 PMCID: PMC7083225 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2019.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels respond to changes in the membrane potential of excitable cells through the concerted action of four voltage-sensor domains (VSDs). Subtype Nav1.7 plays an important role in the propagation of signals in pain-sensing neurons and is a target for the clinical development of novel analgesics. Certain inhibitory cystine knot (ICK) peptides produced by venomous animals potently modulate Nav1.7; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying their selective binding and activity remain elusive. This study reports on the design of a library of photoprobes based on the potent spider toxin Huwentoxin-IV and the determination of the toxin binding interface on VSD2 of Nav1.7 through a photocrosslinking and tandem mass spectrometry approach. Our Huwentoxin-IV probes selectively crosslink to extracellular loop S1-S2 and helix S3 of VSD2 in a chimeric channel system. Our results provide a strategy that will enable mapping of sites of interaction of other ICK peptides on Nav channels. Development of six potent diazirine-containing photoprobes based on Huwentoxin-IV Photoprobes specifically photolabel purified bacterial-Nav1.7 VSD2 chimeric channels Proteomic mass spectrometry identifies binding site on S1-S2 loop and S3 helix Proposed model of HwTx-IV binding reveals importance of K27 and R29
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hui Xu
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Tianbo Li
- Department of Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Natalie Garcia
- Department of Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Christine Kugel
- Department of Biomolecular Resources, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Jian Payandeh
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Christopher M Koth
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Edward W Tate
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, UK.
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26
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Spider Knottin Pharmacology at Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels and Their Potential to Modulate Pain Pathways. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11110626. [PMID: 31671792 PMCID: PMC6891507 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11110626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channels (NaVs) are a key determinant of neuronal signalling. Neurotoxins from diverse taxa that selectively activate or inhibit NaV channels have helped unravel the role of NaV channels in diseases, including chronic pain. Spider venoms contain the most diverse array of inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) toxins (knottins). This review provides an overview on how spider knottins modulate NaV channels and describes the structural features and molecular determinants that influence their affinity and subtype selectivity. Genetic and functional evidence support a major involvement of NaV subtypes in various chronic pain conditions. The exquisite inhibitory properties of spider knottins over key NaV subtypes make them the best lead molecules for the development of novel analgesics to treat chronic pain.
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27
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Ma RSY, Kayani K, Whyte-Oshodi D, Whyte-Oshodi A, Nachiappan N, Gnanarajah S, Mohammed R. Voltage gated sodium channels as therapeutic targets for chronic pain. J Pain Res 2019; 12:2709-2722. [PMID: 31564962 PMCID: PMC6743634 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s207610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Being maladaptive and frequently unresponsive to pharmacotherapy, chronic pain presents a major unmet clinical need. While an intact central nervous system is required for conscious pain perception, nociceptor hyperexcitability induced by nerve injury in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is sufficient and necessary to initiate and maintain neuropathic pain. The genesis and propagation of action potentials is dependent on voltage-gated sodium channels, in particular, Nav1.7, Nav1.8 and Nav1.9. However, nerve injury triggers changes in their distribution, expression and/or biophysical properties, leading to aberrant excitability. Most existing treatment for pain relief acts through non-selective, state-dependent sodium channel blockage and have narrow therapeutic windows. Natural toxins and developing subtype-specific and molecular-specific sodium channel blockers show promise for treatment of neuropathic pain with minimal side effects. New approaches to analgesia include combination therapy and gene therapy. Here, we review how individual sodium channel subtypes contribute to pain, and the attempts made to develop more effective analgesics for the treatment of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renee Siu Yu Ma
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kayani Kayani
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Raihan Mohammed
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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28
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Hou S, Liu Y, Tang Y, Wu M, Guan J, Li X, Wang Z, Jiang J, Deng M, Duan Z, Tang X, Han X, Jiang L. Anti-Toxoplasma gondii effect of two spider venoms in vitro and in vivo. Toxicon 2019; 166:9-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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29
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Cardoso FC, Lewis RJ. Structure-Function and Therapeutic Potential of Spider Venom-Derived Cysteine Knot Peptides Targeting Sodium Channels. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:366. [PMID: 31031623 PMCID: PMC6470632 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider venom-derived cysteine knot peptides are a mega-diverse class of molecules that exhibit unique pharmacological properties to modulate key membrane protein targets. Voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV) are often targeted by these peptides to allosterically promote opening or closing of the channel by binding to structural domains outside the channel pore. These effects can result in modified pain responses, muscle paralysis, cardiac arrest, priapism, and numbness. Although such effects are often deleterious, subtype selective spider venom peptides are showing potential to treat a range of neurological disorders, including chronic pain and epilepsy. This review examines the structure–activity relationships of cysteine knot peptides from spider venoms that modulate NaV and discusses their potential as leads to novel therapies for neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda C Cardoso
- Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Richard J Lewis
- Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
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30
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Gonçalves TC, Benoit E, Kurz M, Lucarain L, Fouconnier S, Combemale S, Jaquillard L, Schombert B, Chambard JM, Boukaiba R, Hessler G, Bohme A, Bialy L, Hourcade S, Béroud R, De Waard M, Servent D, Partiseti M. From identification to functional characterization of cyriotoxin-1a, an antinociceptive toxin from the spider Cyriopagopus schioedtei. Br J Pharmacol 2019; 176:1298-1314. [PMID: 30784059 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The NaV 1.7 channel is highly expressed in dorsal root ganglia of the sensory nervous system and plays a central role in the pain signalling process. We investigated a library prepared from original venoms of 117 different animals to identify new selective inhibitors of this target. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We used high throughput screening of a large venom collection using automated patch-clamp experiments on human voltage-gated sodium channel subtypes and then in vitro and in vivo electrophysiological experiments to characterize the active peptides that have been purified, sequenced, and chemically synthesized. Analgesic effects were evaluated in vivo in mice models. KEY RESULTS We identified cyriotoxin-1a (CyrTx-1a), a novel peptide isolated from Cyriopagopus schioedtei spider venom, as a candidate for further characterization. This 33 amino acids toxin belongs to the inhibitor cystine knot structural family and inhibits hNaV 1.1-1.3 and 1.6-1.7 channels in the low nanomolar range, compared to the micromolar range for hNaV 1.4-1.5 and 1.8 channels. CyrTx-1a was 920 times more efficient at inhibiting tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive than TTX-resistant sodium currents recorded from adult mouse dorsal root ganglia neurons and in vivo electrophysiological experiments showed that CyrTx-1a was approximately 170 times less efficient than huwentoxin-IV at altering mouse skeletal neuromuscular excitability properties. CyrTx-1a exhibited an analgesic effect in mice by increasing reaction time in the hot-plate assay. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The pharmacological profile of CyrTx-1a paves the way for further molecular engineering aimed to optimize the potential antinociceptive properties of this peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tânia C Gonçalves
- Integrated Drug Discovery-High Content Biology, Sanofi R&D, Vitry-sur-Seine, France.,Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines (SIMOPRO), CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Evelyne Benoit
- Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines (SIMOPRO), CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay (Neuro-PSI), UMR CNRS/Université Paris-Sud 9197, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Michael Kurz
- Integrated Drug Discovery-Synthetic Molecular Design, Sanofi R&D, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Laetitia Lucarain
- Integrated Drug Discovery-High Content Biology, Sanofi R&D, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Sophie Fouconnier
- Integrated Drug Discovery-High Content Biology, Sanofi R&D, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | | | | | - Brigitte Schombert
- Integrated Drug Discovery-High Content Biology, Sanofi R&D, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Jean-Marie Chambard
- Integrated Drug Discovery-High Content Biology, Sanofi R&D, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Rachid Boukaiba
- Integrated Drug Discovery-High Content Biology, Sanofi R&D, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Gerhard Hessler
- Integrated Drug Discovery-Synthetic Molecular Design, Sanofi R&D, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Andrees Bohme
- Integrated Drug Discovery-High Content Biology, Sanofi R&D, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Laurent Bialy
- Integrated Drug Discovery-Synthetic Molecular Design, Sanofi R&D, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stéphane Hourcade
- Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Neurodegeneration Research, Sanofi R&D, Chilly-Mazarin, France
| | | | - Michel De Waard
- Smartox Biotechnology, Saint-Egrève, France.,Institut du Thorax, Inserm UMR 1087/CNRS UMR 6291, LabEx "Ion Channels, Science and Therapeutics", Nantes, France
| | - Denis Servent
- Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines (SIMOPRO), CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Michel Partiseti
- Integrated Drug Discovery-High Content Biology, Sanofi R&D, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
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31
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Bennett DL, Clark AJ, Huang J, Waxman SG, Dib-Hajj SD. The Role of Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels in Pain Signaling. Physiol Rev 2019; 99:1079-1151. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00052.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 256] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute pain signaling has a key protective role and is highly evolutionarily conserved. Chronic pain, however, is maladaptive, occurring as a consequence of injury and disease, and is associated with sensitization of the somatosensory nervous system. Primary sensory neurons are involved in both of these processes, and the recent advances in understanding sensory transduction and human genetics are the focus of this review. Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are important determinants of sensory neuron excitability: they are essential for the initial transduction of sensory stimuli, the electrogenesis of the action potential, and neurotransmitter release from sensory neuron terminals. Nav1.1, Nav1.6, Nav1.7, Nav1.8, and Nav1.9 are all expressed by adult sensory neurons. The biophysical characteristics of these channels, as well as their unique expression patterns within subtypes of sensory neurons, define their functional role in pain signaling. Changes in the expression of VGSCs, as well as posttranslational modifications, contribute to the sensitization of sensory neurons in chronic pain states. Furthermore, gene variants in Nav1.7, Nav1.8, and Nav1.9 have now been linked to human Mendelian pain disorders and more recently to common pain disorders such as small-fiber neuropathy. Chronic pain affects one in five of the general population. Given the poor efficacy of current analgesics, the selective expression of particular VGSCs in sensory neurons makes these attractive targets for drug discovery. The increasing availability of gene sequencing, combined with structural modeling and electrophysiological analysis of gene variants, also provides the opportunity to better target existing therapies in a personalized manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L. Bennett
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology and Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; and Rehabilitation Research Center, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Alex J. Clark
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology and Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; and Rehabilitation Research Center, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Jianying Huang
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology and Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; and Rehabilitation Research Center, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Stephen G. Waxman
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology and Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; and Rehabilitation Research Center, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sulayman D. Dib-Hajj
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology and Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; and Rehabilitation Research Center, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
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32
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Bajaj S, Han J. Venom-Derived Peptide Modulators of Cation-Selective Channels: Friend, Foe or Frenemy. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:58. [PMID: 30863305 PMCID: PMC6399158 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Ion channels play a key role in our body to regulate homeostasis and conduct electrical signals. With the help of advances in structural biology, as well as the discovery of numerous channel modulators derived from animal toxins, we are moving toward a better understanding of the function and mode of action of ion channels. Their ubiquitous tissue distribution and the physiological relevancies of their opening and closing suggest that cation channels are particularly attractive drug targets, and years of research has revealed a variety of natural toxins that bind to these channels and alter their function. In this review, we provide an introductory overview of the major cation ion channels: potassium channels, sodium channels and calcium channels, describe their venom-derived peptide modulators, and how these peptides provide great research and therapeutic value to both basic and translational medical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumya Bajaj
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jingyao Han
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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33
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Shen H, Liu D, Wu K, Lei J, Yan N. Structures of human Na v1.7 channel in complex with auxiliary subunits and animal toxins. Science 2019; 363:1303-1308. [PMID: 30765606 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw2493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 288] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7 represents a promising target for pain relief. Here we report the cryo-electron microscopy structures of the human Nav1.7-β1-β2 complex bound to two combinations of pore blockers and gating modifier toxins (GMTs), tetrodotoxin with protoxin-II and saxitoxin with huwentoxin-IV, both determined at overall resolutions of 3.2 angstroms. The two structures are nearly identical except for minor shifts of voltage-sensing domain II (VSDII), whose S3-S4 linker accommodates the two GMTs in a similar manner. One additional protoxin-II sits on top of the S3-S4 linker in VSDIV The structures may represent an inactivated state with all four VSDs "up" and the intracellular gate closed. The structures illuminate the path toward mechanistic understanding of the function and disease of Nav1.7 and establish the foundation for structure-aided development of analgesics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaizong Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Dongliang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Kun Wu
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiopulmonary Cerebral Resuscitation, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Jianlin Lei
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Technology Center for Protein Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Nieng Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China. .,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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34
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Pérez de Vega MJ, Ferrer-Montiel A, González-Muñiz R. Recent progress in non-opioid analgesic peptides. Arch Biochem Biophys 2018; 660:36-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2018.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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35
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Maxwell M, Undheim EAB, Mobli M. Secreted Cysteine-Rich Repeat Proteins "SCREPs": A Novel Multi-Domain Architecture. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:1333. [PMID: 30524283 PMCID: PMC6262176 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.01333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptide toxins isolated from animal venom secretions have proven to be useful pharmacological tools for probing the structure and function of a number of molecular receptors. Their molecular structures are stabilized by posttranslational formation of multiple disulfide bonds formed between sidechain thiols of cysteine residues, resulting in high thermal and chemical stability. Many of these peptides have been found to be potent modulators of ion channels, making them particularly influential in this field. Recently, several peptide toxins have been described that have an unusual tandem repeat organization, while also eliciting a unique pharmacological response toward ion channels. Most of these are two-domain peptide toxins from spider venoms, such as the double-knot toxin (DkTx), isolated from the Earth Tiger tarantula (Haplopelma schmidti). The unusual pharmacology of DkTx is its high avidity for its receptor (TRPV1), a property that has been attributed to a bivalent mode-of-action. DkTx has subsequently proven a powerful tool for elucidating the structural basis for the function of the TRPV1 channel. Interestingly, all tandem repeat peptides functionally characterized to date share this high avidity to their respective binding targets, suggesting they comprise an unrecognized structural class of peptides with unique structural features that result in a characteristic set of pharmacological properties. In this article, we explore the prevalence of this emerging class of peptides, which we have named Secreted, Cysteine-rich REpeat Peptides, or “SCREPs.” To achieve this, we have employed data mining techniques to extract SCREP-like sequences from the UniProtKB database, yielding approximately sixty thousand candidates. These results indicate that SCREPs exist within a diverse range of species with greatly varying sizes and predicted fold types, and likely include peptides with novel structures and unique modes of action. We present our approach to mining this database for discovery of novel ion-channel modulators and discuss a number of “hits” as promising leads for further investigation. Our database of SCREPs thus constitutes a novel resource for biodiscovery and highlights the value of a data-driven approach to the identification of new bioactive pharmacological tools and therapeutic lead molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Maxwell
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Eivind A B Undheim
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Mehdi Mobli
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
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Gonçalves TC, Benoit E, Partiseti M, Servent D. The Na V1.7 Channel Subtype as an Antinociceptive Target for Spider Toxins in Adult Dorsal Root Ganglia Neurons. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:1000. [PMID: 30233376 PMCID: PMC6131673 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.01000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Although necessary for human survival, pain may sometimes become pathologic if long-lasting and associated with alterations in its signaling pathway. Opioid painkillers are officially used to treat moderate to severe, and even mild, pain. However, the consequent strong and not so rare complications that occur, including addiction and overdose, combined with pain management costs, remain an important societal and economic concern. In this context, animal venom toxins represent an original source of antinociceptive peptides that mainly target ion channels (such as ASICs as well as TRP, CaV, KV and NaV channels) involved in pain transmission. The present review aims to highlight the NaV1.7 channel subtype as an antinociceptive target for spider toxins in adult dorsal root ganglia neurons. It will detail (i) the characteristics of these primary sensory neurons, the first ones in contact with pain stimulus and conveying the nociceptive message, (ii) the electrophysiological properties of the different NaV channel subtypes expressed in these neurons, with a particular attention on the NaV1.7 subtype, an antinociceptive target of choice that has been validated by human genetic evidence, and (iii) the features of spider venom toxins, shaped of inhibitory cysteine knot motif, that present high affinity for the NaV1.7 subtype associated with evidenced analgesic efficacy in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tânia C Gonçalves
- Sanofi R&D, Integrated Drug Discovery - High Content Biology, Paris, France.,Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines, CEA de Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Evelyne Benoit
- Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines, CEA de Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, UMR CNRS/Université Paris-Sud 9197, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Michel Partiseti
- Sanofi R&D, Integrated Drug Discovery - High Content Biology, Paris, France
| | - Denis Servent
- Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines, CEA de Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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37
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A complicated complex: Ion channels, voltage sensing, cell membranes and peptide inhibitors. Neurosci Lett 2018; 679:35-47. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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38
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Pluskal T, Weng JK. Natural product modulators of human sensations and mood: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential. Chem Soc Rev 2018; 47:1592-1637. [PMID: 28933478 DOI: 10.1039/c7cs00411g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Humans perceive physical information about the surrounding environment through their senses. This physical information is registered by a collection of highly evolved and finely tuned molecular sensory receptors. A multitude of bioactive, structurally diverse ligands have evolved in nature that bind these molecular receptors. The complex, dynamic interactions between the ligands and the receptors lead to changes in our sensory perception or mood. Here, we review our current knowledge of natural products and their derived analogues that interact specifically with human G protein-coupled receptors, ion channels, and nuclear hormone receptors to modulate the sensations of taste, smell, temperature, pain, and itch, as well as mood and its associated behaviour. We discuss the molecular and structural mechanisms underlying such interactions and highlight cases where subtle differences in natural product chemistry produce drastic changes in functional outcome. We also discuss cases where a single compound triggers complex sensory or behavioural changes in humans through multiple mechanistic targets. Finally, we comment on the therapeutic potential of the reviewed area of research and draw attention to recent technological developments in genomics, metabolomics, and metabolic engineering that allow us to tap the medicinal properties of natural product chemistry without taxing nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Pluskal
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 455 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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39
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Gonçalves TC, Boukaiba R, Molgó J, Amar M, Partiseti M, Servent D, Benoit E. Direct evidence for high affinity blockade of Na V1.6 channel subtype by huwentoxin-IV spider peptide, using multiscale functional approaches. Neuropharmacology 2018; 133:404-414. [PMID: 29474819 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The Chinese bird spider huwentoxin-IV (HwTx-IV) is well-known to be a highly potent blocker of NaV1.7 subtype of voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels, a genetically validated analgesic target, and thus promising as a potential lead molecule for the development of novel pain therapeutics. In the present study, the interaction between HwTx-IV and NaV1.6 channel subtype was investigated using multiscale (from in vivo to individual cell) functional approaches. HwTx-IV was approximatively 2 times more efficient than tetrodotoxin (TTX) to inhibit the compound muscle action potential recorded from the mouse skeletal neuromuscular system in vivo, and 30 times more effective to inhibit nerve-evoked than directly-elicited muscle contractile force of isolated mouse hemidiaphragms. These results strongly suggest that the inhibition of nerve-evoked skeletal muscle functioning, produced by HwTx-IV, resulted from a toxin-induced preferential blockade of NaV1.6, compared to NaV1.4, channel subtype. This was confirmed by whole-cell automated patch-clamp experiments performed on human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293 cells overexpressing hNaV1.1-1.8 channel subtypes. HwTx-IV was also approximatively 850 times more efficient to inhibit TTX-sensitive than TTX-resistant sodium currents recorded from mouse dorsal root ganglia neurons. Finally, based on our data, we predict that blockade of the NaV1.6 channel subtype was involved in the in vivo toxicity of HwTx-IV, although this toxicity was more than 2 times lower than that of TTX. In conclusion, our results provide detailed information regarding the effects of HwTx-IV and allow a better understanding of the side-effect mechanisms involved in vivo and of channel subtype interactions resulting from the toxin activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tânia C Gonçalves
- Sanofi R & D, Integrated Drug Discovery, In Vitro Biology & Pharmacology, F-94440, Vitry-sur-Seine, France; Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines (SIMOPRO), CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Rachid Boukaiba
- Sanofi R & D, Integrated Drug Discovery, In Vitro Biology & Pharmacology, F-94440, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Jordi Molgó
- Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines (SIMOPRO), CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191, Gif sur Yvette, France; Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay (Neuro-PSI), UMR CNRS/Université Paris-Sud 9197, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91198, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Muriel Amar
- Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines (SIMOPRO), CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Michel Partiseti
- Sanofi R & D, Integrated Drug Discovery, In Vitro Biology & Pharmacology, F-94440, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Denis Servent
- Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines (SIMOPRO), CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Evelyne Benoit
- Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines (SIMOPRO), CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191, Gif sur Yvette, France; Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay (Neuro-PSI), UMR CNRS/Université Paris-Sud 9197, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91198, Gif sur Yvette, France.
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40
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Aroma-triggered pain relief. Nat Biomed Eng 2018; 2:58-59. [PMID: 31015622 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-018-0197-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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41
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Starobova H, S. W. A. H, Lewis RJ, Vetter I. Transcriptomics in pain research: insights from new and old technologies. Mol Omics 2018; 14:389-404. [DOI: 10.1039/c8mo00181b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Physiological and pathological pain involves a complex interplay of multiple cell types and signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. Starobova
- Centre for Pain Research
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience
- University of Queensland
- St Lucia
- Australia
| | - Himaya S. W. A.
- Centre for Pain Research
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience
- University of Queensland
- St Lucia
- Australia
| | - R. J. Lewis
- Centre for Pain Research
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience
- University of Queensland
- St Lucia
- Australia
| | - I. Vetter
- Centre for Pain Research
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience
- University of Queensland
- St Lucia
- Australia
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42
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Pennington MW, Czerwinski A, Norton RS. Peptide therapeutics from venom: Current status and potential. Bioorg Med Chem 2017; 26:2738-2758. [PMID: 28988749 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2017.09.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Peptides are recognized as being highly selective, potent and relatively safe as potential therapeutics. Peptides isolated from the venom of different animals satisfy most of these criteria with the possible exception of safety, but when isolated as single compounds and used at appropriate concentrations, venom-derived peptides can become useful drugs. Although the number of venom-derived peptides that have successfully progressed to the clinic is currently limited, the prospects for venom-derived peptides look very optimistic. As proteomic and transcriptomic approaches continue to identify new sequences, the potential of venom-derived peptides to find applications as therapeutics, cosmetics and insecticides grows accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrzej Czerwinski
- Peptides International, Inc., 11621 Electron Drive, Louisville, KY 40299, USA
| | - Raymond S Norton
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 381 Royal Parade, Monash University, Parkville, 3052, Australia
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Wingerd JS, Mozar CA, Ussing CA, Murali SS, Chin YKY, Cristofori-Armstrong B, Durek T, Gilchrist J, Vaughan CW, Bosmans F, Adams DJ, Lewis RJ, Alewood PF, Mobli M, Christie MJ, Rash LD. The tarantula toxin β/δ-TRTX-Pre1a highlights the importance of the S1-S2 voltage-sensor region for sodium channel subtype selectivity. Sci Rep 2017; 7:974. [PMID: 28428547 PMCID: PMC5430537 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01129-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels are essential for the transmission of pain signals in humans making them prime targets for the development of new analgesics. Spider venoms are a rich source of peptide modulators useful to study ion channel structure and function. Here we describe β/δ-TRTX-Pre1a, a 35-residue tarantula peptide that selectively interacts with neuronal NaV channels inhibiting peak current of hNaV1.1, rNaV1.2, hNaV1.6, and hNaV1.7 while concurrently inhibiting fast inactivation of hNaV1.1 and rNaV1.3. The DII and DIV S3-S4 loops of NaV channel voltage sensors are important for the interaction of Pre1a with NaV channels but cannot account for its unique subtype selectivity. Through analysis of the binding regions we ascertained that the variability of the S1-S2 loops between NaV channels contributes substantially to the selectivity profile observed for Pre1a, particularly with regards to fast inactivation. A serine residue on the DIV S2 helix was found to be sufficient to explain Pre1a’s potent and selective inhibitory effect on the fast inactivation process of NaV1.1 and 1.3. This work highlights that interactions with both S1-S2 and S3-S4 of NaV channels may be necessary for functional modulation, and that targeting the diverse S1-S2 region within voltage-sensing domains provides an avenue to develop subtype selective tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua S Wingerd
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Christine A Mozar
- Discipline of Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Christine A Ussing
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.,Novo Nordisk A/S, Copenhagen Area, Capital Region, Denmark
| | - Swetha S Murali
- Discipline of Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia.,Harvard Medical School, Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
| | - Yanni K-Y Chin
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Ben Cristofori-Armstrong
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Thomas Durek
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - John Gilchrist
- Department of Physiology and Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Christopher W Vaughan
- Pain Management Research Institute, University of Sydney, St Leonards, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Frank Bosmans
- Department of Physiology and Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - David J Adams
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Richard J Lewis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Paul F Alewood
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Mehdi Mobli
- Centre for Advanced Imaging & School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Macdonald J Christie
- Discipline of Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Lachlan D Rash
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia. .,School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, QLD, Australia.
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44
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Rahnama S, Deuis JR, Cardoso FC, Ramanujam V, Lewis RJ, Rash LD, King GF, Vetter I, Mobli M. The structure, dynamics and selectivity profile of a NaV1.7 potency-optimised huwentoxin-IV variant. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0173551. [PMID: 28301520 PMCID: PMC5354290 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Venom-derived peptides have attracted much attention as potential lead molecules for pharmaceutical development. A well-known example is Huwentoxin-IV (HwTx-IV), a peptide toxin isolated from the venom of the Chinese bird-eating spider Haplopelma schmitdi. HwTx-IV was identified as a potent blocker of a human voltage-gated sodium channel (hNaV1.7), which is a genetically validated analgesic target. The peptide was promising as it showed high potency at NaV1.7 (IC50 ~26 nM) and selectivity over the cardiac NaV subtype (NaV1.5). Mutagenesis studies aimed at optimising the potency of the peptide resulted in the development of a triple-mutant of HwTx-IV (E1G, E4G, Y33W, m3-HwTx-IV) with significantly increased potency against hNaV1.7 (IC50 = 0.4 ± 0.1 nM) without increased potency against hNaV1.5. The activity of m3-HwTx-IV against other NaV subtypes was, however, not investigated. Similarly, the structure of the mutant peptide was not characterised, limiting the interpretation of the observed increase in potency. In this study we produced isotope-labelled recombinant m3-HwTx-IV in E. coli, which enabled us to characterise the atomic-resolution structure and dynamics of the peptide by NMR spectroscopy. The results show that the structure of the peptide is not perturbed by the mutations, whilst the relaxation studies reveal that residues in the active site of the peptide undergo conformational exchange. Additionally, the NaV subtype selectivity of the recombinant peptide was characterised, revealing potent inhibition of neuronal NaV subtypes 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6 and 1.7. In parallel to the in vitro studies, we investigated NaV1.7 target engagement of the peptide in vivo using a rodent pain model, where m3-HwTx-IV dose-dependently suppressed spontaneous pain induced by the NaV1.7 activator OD1. Thus, our results provide further insight into the structure and dynamics of this class of peptides that may prove useful in guiding the development of inhibitors with improved selectivity for analgesic NaV subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sassan Rahnama
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Jennifer R. Deuis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Fernanda C. Cardoso
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Richard J. Lewis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Lachlan D. Rash
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Glenn F. King
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Irina Vetter
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Mehdi Mobli
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- * E-mail:
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45
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Bagal SK, Marron BE, Owen RM, Storer RI, Swain NA. Voltage gated sodium channels as drug discovery targets. Channels (Austin) 2016; 9:360-6. [PMID: 26646477 PMCID: PMC4850042 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2015.1079674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels are a family of transmembrane ion channel proteins. They function by forming a gated, water-filled pore to help establish and control cell membrane potential via control of the flow of ions between the intracellular and the extracellular environments. Blockade of NaVs has been successfully accomplished in the clinic to enable control of pathological firing patterns that occur in a diverse range of conditions such as chronic pain, epilepsy, and cardiac arrhythmias. First generation sodium channel modulator drugs, despite low inherent subtype selectivity, preferentially act on over-excited cells which reduces undesirable side effects in the clinic. However, the limited therapeutic indices observed with the first generation demanded a new generation of sodium channel inhibitors. The structure, function and the state of the art in sodium channel modulator drug discovery are discussed in this chapter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharan K Bagal
- a Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry; Pfizer ; Great Abington , Cambridge , UK
| | - Brian E Marron
- b Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry; Pfizer ; Durham , NC USA
| | - Robert M Owen
- a Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry; Pfizer ; Great Abington , Cambridge , UK
| | - R Ian Storer
- a Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry; Pfizer ; Great Abington , Cambridge , UK
| | - Nigel A Swain
- a Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry; Pfizer ; Great Abington , Cambridge , UK
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Deng M, Hu Z, Cai T, Liu K, Wu W, Luo X, Jiang L, Wang M, Yang J, Xiao Y, Liang S. Characterization of ion channels on subesophageal ganglion neurons from Chinese tarantula Ornithoctonus huwena: Exploring the myth of the spider insensitive to its venom. Toxicon 2016; 120:61-8. [PMID: 27452932 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2016.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Revised: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Chinese tarantula Ornithoctonus huwena is one of the most venomous spiders distributing in the hilly areas of southern China. In this study, using whole-cell patch-clamp technique we investigated electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of ion channels from tarantula subesophageal ganglion neurons. It was found that the neurons express multiple kinds of ion channels at least including voltage-gated calcium channels, TTX-sensitive sodium channels and two types of potassium channels. They exhibit pharmacological properties similar to mammalian subtypes. Spider calcium channels were sensitive to ω-conotoxin GVIA and diltiazem, two well-known inhibitors of mammalian neuronal high-voltage-activated (HVA) subtypes. 4-Aminopyridine and tetraethylammonium could inhibit spider outward transient and delayed-rectifier potassium channels, respectively. Huwentoxin-I and huwentoxin-IV are two abundant toxic components in the venom of Ornithoctonus huwena. Interestingly, although in our previous work they inhibit HVA calcium channels and TTX-sensitive sodium channels from mammalian sensory neurons, respectively, they fail to affect the subtypes from spider neurons. Moreover, the crude venom has no effect on delayed-rectifier potassium channels and only slightly reduces transient outward potassium channels with an IC50 value of ∼51.3 mg/L. Therefore, our findings provide important evidence for ion channels from spiders having an evolution as self-defense and prey mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meichun Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics and School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China; Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China.
| | - Zhaotun Hu
- Key Laboratory of Research and Utilization of Ethnomedicinal Plant Resources of Hunan Province, School of Biological and Food Engineering, Huaihua College, Huaihua, Hunan, 418008, China; Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China.
| | - Tianfu Cai
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
| | - Kai Liu
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
| | - Wenfang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics and School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Xuan Luo
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
| | - Liping Jiang
- Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Meichi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
| | - Yucheng Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China
| | - Songping Liang
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, China.
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Shcherbatko A, Rossi A, Foletti D, Zhu G, Bogin O, Galindo Casas M, Rickert M, Hasa-Moreno A, Bartsevich V, Crameri A, Steiner AR, Henningsen R, Gill A, Pons J, Shelton DL, Rajpal A, Strop P. Engineering Highly Potent and Selective Microproteins against Nav1.7 Sodium Channel for Treatment of Pain. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:13974-13986. [PMID: 27129258 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.725978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The prominent role of voltage-gated sodium channel 1.7 (Nav1.7) in nociception was revealed by remarkable human clinical and genetic evidence. Development of potent and subtype-selective inhibitors of this ion channel is crucial for obtaining therapeutically useful analgesic compounds. Microproteins isolated from animal venoms have been identified as promising therapeutic leads for ion channels, because they naturally evolved to be potent ion channel blockers. Here, we report the engineering of highly potent and selective inhibitors of the Nav1.7 channel based on tarantula ceratotoxin-1 (CcoTx1). We utilized a combination of directed evolution, saturation mutagenesis, chemical modification, and rational drug design to obtain higher potency and selectivity to the Nav1.7 channel. The resulting microproteins are highly potent (IC50 to Nav1.7 of 2.5 nm) and selective. We achieved 80- and 20-fold selectivity over the closely related Nav1.2 and Nav1.6 channels, respectively, and the IC50 on skeletal (Nav1.4) and cardiac (Nav1.5) sodium channels is above 3000 nm The lead molecules have the potential for future clinical development as novel therapeutics in the treatment of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea Rossi
- Rinat Laboratories, Pfizer Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Davide Foletti
- Rinat Laboratories, Pfizer Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Guoyun Zhu
- Rinat Laboratories, Pfizer Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | | | | | - Mathias Rickert
- Rinat Laboratories, Pfizer Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Adela Hasa-Moreno
- Rinat Laboratories, Pfizer Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | | | | | | | | | - Avinash Gill
- Sutro Biopharma, South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Jaume Pons
- Rinat Laboratories, Pfizer Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - David L Shelton
- Rinat Laboratories, Pfizer Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Arvind Rajpal
- Rinat Laboratories, Pfizer Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Pavel Strop
- Rinat Laboratories, Pfizer Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080,.
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48
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Murray JK, Long J, Zou A, Ligutti J, Andrews KL, Poppe L, Biswas K, Moyer BD, McDonough SI, Miranda LP. Single Residue Substitutions That Confer Voltage-Gated Sodium Ion Channel Subtype Selectivity in the NaV1.7 Inhibitory Peptide GpTx-1. J Med Chem 2016; 59:2704-17. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Justin K. Murray
- Therapeutic Discovery and ‡Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
- Therapeutic Discovery and ∥Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., 360 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Jason Long
- Therapeutic Discovery and ‡Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
- Therapeutic Discovery and ∥Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., 360 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Anruo Zou
- Therapeutic Discovery and ‡Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
- Therapeutic Discovery and ∥Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., 360 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Joseph Ligutti
- Therapeutic Discovery and ‡Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
- Therapeutic Discovery and ∥Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., 360 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Kristin L. Andrews
- Therapeutic Discovery and ‡Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
- Therapeutic Discovery and ∥Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., 360 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Leszek Poppe
- Therapeutic Discovery and ‡Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
- Therapeutic Discovery and ∥Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., 360 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Kaustav Biswas
- Therapeutic Discovery and ‡Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
- Therapeutic Discovery and ∥Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., 360 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Bryan D. Moyer
- Therapeutic Discovery and ‡Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
- Therapeutic Discovery and ∥Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., 360 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Stefan I. McDonough
- Therapeutic Discovery and ‡Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
- Therapeutic Discovery and ∥Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., 360 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Les P. Miranda
- Therapeutic Discovery and ‡Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, California 91320, United States
- Therapeutic Discovery and ∥Neuroscience, Amgen Inc., 360 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
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49
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Synthetic Cystine-Knot Miniproteins - Valuable Scaffolds for Polypeptide Engineering. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 917:121-44. [PMID: 27236555 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-32805-8_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Peptides with the cystine-knot architecture, often termed knottins, are promising scaffolds for biomolecular engineering. These unique molecules combine diverse bioactivities with excellent structural, thermal, and proteolytical stability. Being different in the composition and structure of their amino acid backbone, knottins share the same core element, namely cystine knot, which is built by six cysteine residues forming three disulfides upon oxidative folding. This motif ensures a notably rigid framework that highly tolerates both rational and combinatorial changes in the primary structure. Being accessible through recombinant production and total chemical synthesis, cystine-knot miniproteins can be endowed with novel bioactivities by variation of surface-exposed loops and incorporation of non-natural elements within their non-conserved regions towards the generation of tailor-made peptidic compounds. In this chapter the topology of cystine-knot peptides, their synthesis and applications for diagnostics and therapy is discussed.
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50
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Klint JK, Chin YKY, Mobli M. Rational Engineering Defines a Molecular Switch That Is Essential for Activity of Spider-Venom Peptides against the Analgesics Target NaV1.7. Mol Pharmacol 2015; 88:1002-10. [PMID: 26429937 DOI: 10.1124/mol.115.100784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Many spider-venom peptides are known to modulate the activity of the voltage-gated sodium (NaV) subtype 1.7 (NaV1.7) channel, which has emerged as a promising analgesic target. In particular, a class of spider-venom peptides (NaSpTx1) has been found to potently inhibit NaV1.7 (nanomolar IC50), and has been shown to produce analgesic effects in animals. However, one member of this family [µ-TRTX-Hhn2b (Hhn2b)] does not inhibit mammalian NaV channels expressed in dorsal root ganglia at concentrations up to 100 µM. This peptide is classified as a NaSpTx1 member by virtue of its cysteine spacing and sequence conservation over functionally important residues. Here, we have performed detailed structural and functional analyses of Hhn2b, leading us to identify two nonpharmacophore residues that contribute to human NaV1.7 (hNaV1.7) inhibition by nonoverlapping mechanisms. These findings allowed us to produce a double mutant of Hhn2b that shows nanomolar inhibition of hNaV1.7. Traditional structure/function analysis did not provide sufficient resolution to identify the mechanism underlying the observed gain of function. However, by solving the high-resolution structure of both the wild-type and mutant peptides using advanced multidimensional NMR experiments, we were able to uncover a previously unknown network of interactions that stabilize the pharmacophore region of this class of venom peptides. We further monitored the lipid binding properties of the peptides and identified that one of the key amino acid substitutions also selectively modulates the binding of the peptide to anionic lipids. These results will further aid the development of peptide-based analgesics for the treatment of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie K Klint
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, (J.K.K., Y.K.-Y.C.), and Centre for Advanced Imaging (M.M.), University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Yanni K-Y Chin
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, (J.K.K., Y.K.-Y.C.), and Centre for Advanced Imaging (M.M.), University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Mehdi Mobli
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, (J.K.K., Y.K.-Y.C.), and Centre for Advanced Imaging (M.M.), University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
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