1
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Lima MP, Hornsby BD, Lim CS, Cheatham TE. Molecular Modeling of Single- and Double-Hydrocarbon-Stapled Coiled-Coil Inhibitors against Bcr-Abl: Toward a Treatment Strategy for CML. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:6476-6491. [PMID: 38951498 PMCID: PMC11247501 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c02699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
The chimeric oncoprotein Bcr-Abl is the causative agent of virtually all chronic myeloid leukemias and a subset of acute lymphoblastic leukemias. As a result of the so-called Philadelphia chromosome translocation t(9;22), Bcr-Abl manifests as a constitutively active tyrosine kinase, which promotes leukemogenesis by activation of cell cycle signaling pathways. Constitutive and oncogenic activation is mediated by an N-terminal coiled-coil oligomerization domain in Bcr (Bcr-CC), presenting a therapeutic target for inhibition of Bcr-Abl activity toward the treatment of Bcr-Abl+ leukemias. Previously, we demonstrated that a rationally designed Bcr-CC mutant, CCmut3, exerts a dominant negative effect upon Bcr-Abl activity by preferential oligomerization with Bcr-CC. Moreover, we have shown that conjugation to a leukemia-specific cell-penetrating peptide (CPP-CCmut3) improves intracellular delivery and activity. However, our full-length CPP-CCmut3 construct (81 aa) is encumbered by an intrinsically high degree of conformational variability and susceptibility to proteolytic degradation relative to traditional small-molecule therapeutics. Here, we iterate a new generation of CCmut3 inhibitors against Bcr-CC-mediated Bcr-Abl assembly designed to address these constraints through incorporation of all-hydrocarbon staples spanning i and i + 7 positions in α-helix 2 (CPP-CCmut3-st). We utilize computational modeling and biomolecular simulation to evaluate single- and double-stapled CCmut3 candidates in silico for dynamics and binding energetics. We further model a truncated system characterized by the deletion of α-helix 1 and the flexible loop linker, which are known to impart high conformational variability. To study the impact of the N-terminal cyclic CPP toward model stability and inhibitor activity, we also model the full-length and truncated systems devoid of the CPP, with a cyclized CPP, and with an open-configuration CPP, for a total of six systems that comprise our library. From this library, we present lead-stapled peptide candidates to be synthesized and evaluated experimentally as our next iteration of inhibitors against Bcr-Abl.
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MESH Headings
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/antagonists & inhibitors
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/metabolism
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/chemistry
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/metabolism
- Humans
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/chemistry
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/metabolism
- Models, Molecular
- Molecular Dynamics Simulation
- Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Cell-Penetrating Peptides/chemistry
- Cell-Penetrating Peptides/pharmacology
- Cell-Penetrating Peptides/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria
Carolina P. Lima
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Braxten D. Hornsby
- Department
of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of
Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Carol S. Lim
- Department
of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of
Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Thomas E. Cheatham
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
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2
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Li Y, Wu M, Fu Y, Xue J, Yuan F, Qu T, Rissanou AN, Wang Y, Li X, Hu H. Therapeutic stapled peptides: Efficacy and molecular targets. Pharmacol Res 2024; 203:107137. [PMID: 38522761 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Peptide stapling, by employing a stable, preformed alpha-helical conformation, results in the production of peptides with improved membrane permeability and enhanced proteolytic stability, compared to the original peptides, and provides an effective solution to accelerate the rapid development of peptide drugs. Various reviews present peptide stapling chemistries, anchoring residues and one- or two-component cyclization, however, therapeutic stapled peptides have not been systematically summarized, especially focusing on various disease-related targets. This review highlights the latest advances in therapeutic peptide drug development facilitated by the application of stapling technology, including different stapling techniques, synthetic accessibility, applicability to biological targets, potential for solving biological problems, as well as the current status of development. Stapled peptides as therapeutic drug candidates have been classified and analysed mainly by receptor- and ligand-based stapled peptide design against various diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases, inflammation, and diabetes. This review is expected to provide a comprehensive reference for the rational design of stapled peptides for different diseases and targets to facilitate the development of therapeutic peptides with enhanced pharmacokinetic and biological properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulei Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China.
| | - Minghao Wu
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yinxue Fu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Jingwen Xue
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Fei Yuan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Tianci Qu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Anastassia N Rissanou
- Theoretical & Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635, Greece
| | - Yilin Wang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 131 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiang Li
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Honggang Hu
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, China.
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3
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Li J, Tan YS, Verma CS. Dissecting the geometric and hydrophobic constraints of stapled peptides. Proteins 2024. [PMID: 38196284 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26662] [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: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Stapled peptides are a promising class of molecules with potential as highly specific probes of protein-protein interactions and as therapeutics. Hydrocarbon stapling affects the peptide properties through the interplay of two factors: enhancing the overall hydrophobicity and constraining the conformational flexibility. By constructing a series of virtual peptides, we study the role of each factor in modulating the structural properties of a hydrocarbon-stapled peptide PM2, which has been shown to enter cells, engage its target Mouse Double Minute 2 (MDM2), and activate p53. Hamiltonian replica exchange molecular dynamics (HREMD) simulations suggest that hydrocarbon stapling favors helical populations of PM2 through a combination of the geometric constraints and the enhanced hydrophobicity of the peptide. To further understand the conformational landscape of the stapled peptides along the binding pathway, we performed HREMD simulations by restraining the peptide at different distances from MDM2. When the peptide approaches MDM2, the binding pocket undergoes dehydration which appears to be greater in the presence of the stapled peptide compared with the linear peptide. In the binding pocket, the helicity of the stapled peptide is increased due to the favorable interactions between the peptide residues as well as the staple and the microenvironment of the binding pocket, contributing to enhanced affinity. The dissection of the multifaceted mechanism of hydrocarbon stapling into individual factors not only deepens fundamental understanding of peptide stapling, but also provides guidelines for the design of new stapled peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Li
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yaw Sing Tan
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chandra S Verma
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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4
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Bird GH, Patten JJ, Zavadoski W, Barucci N, Godes M, Moyer BM, Owen CD, DaSilva-Jardine P, Neuberg DS, Bowen RA, Davey RA, Walensky LD. A stapled lipopeptide platform for preventing and treating highly pathogenic viruses of pandemic potential. Nat Commun 2024; 15:274. [PMID: 38177138 PMCID: PMC10766962 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44361-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The continued emergence of highly pathogenic viruses, which either thwart immune- and small molecule-based therapies or lack interventions entirely, mandates alternative approaches, particularly for prompt and facile pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis. Many highly pathogenic viruses, including coronaviruses, employ the six-helix bundle heptad repeat membrane fusion mechanism to achieve infection. Although heptad-repeat-2 decoys can inhibit viral entry by blocking six-helix bundle assembly, the biophysical and pharmacologic liabilities of peptides have hindered their clinical development. Here, we develop a chemically stapled lipopeptide inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 as proof-of-concept for the platform. We show that our lead compound blocks infection by a spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 variants, exhibits mucosal persistence upon nasal administration, demonstrates enhanced stability compared to prior analogs, and mitigates infection in hamsters. We further demonstrate that our stapled lipopeptide platform yields nanomolar inhibitors of respiratory syncytial, Ebola, and Nipah viruses by targeting heptad-repeat-1 domains, which exhibit strikingly low mutation rates, enabling on-demand therapeutic intervention to combat viral outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory H Bird
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - J J Patten
- Department of Microbiology, National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | | | | | - Marina Godes
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Benjamin M Moyer
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Callum D Owen
- Department of Microbiology, National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | | | - Donna S Neuberg
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Richard A Bowen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Robert A Davey
- Department of Microbiology, National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Loren D Walensky
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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5
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Lima MCP, Hornsby BD, Lim CS, Cheatham TE. Computational Modeling of Stapled Coiled-Coil Inhibitors Against Bcr-Abl: Toward a Treatment Strategy for CML. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.15.566894. [PMID: 38014060 PMCID: PMC10680756 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.15.566894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The chimeric oncoprotein Bcr-Abl is the causative agent of virtually all chronic myeloid leukemias (CML) and a subset of acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL). As a result of the so-called Philadelphia Chromosome translocation t(9;22), Bcr-Abl manifests as a constitutively active tyrosine kinase which promotes leukemogenesis by activation of cell cycle signaling pathways. Constitutive and oncogenic activation is mediated by an N-terminal coiled-coil oligomerization domain in Bcr (Bcr-CC), presenting a therapeutic target for inhibition of Bcr-Abl activity toward the treatment of Bcr-Abl+ leukemias. Previously, we demonstrated that a rationally designed Bcr-CC mutant, CCmut3, exerts a dominant negative effect upon Bcr-Abl activity by preferential oligomerization with Bcr-CC. Moreover, we have shown conjugation to a leukemia-specific cell-penetrating peptide (CPP-CCmut3) improves intracellular delivery and activity. However, our full-length CPP-CCmut3 construct (81 aa) is encumbered by an intrinsically high degree of conformational variability and susceptibility to proteolytic degradation, relative to traditional small molecule therapeutics. Here, we iterate a new generation of our inhibitor against Bcr-CC mediated Bcr-Abl assembly that is designed to address these constraints through incorporation of all-hydrocarbon staples spanning i, i + 7 positions in helix α2 (CPP-CCmut3-st). We utilize computational modeling and biomolecular simulation to design and characterize single and double staple candidates in silico, evaluating binding energetics and building upon our seminal work modeling single hydrocarbon staples when applied to a truncated Bcr-CC sequence. This strategy enables us to efficiently build, characterize, and screen lead single/double stapled CPP-CCmut3-st candidates for experimental studies and validation in vitro and in vivo. In addition to full-length CPP-CCmut, we model a truncated system characterized by deletion of helix α1 and the flexible-loop linker, which are known to impart high conformational variability. To study the impact of the N-terminal cyclic CPP toward model stability and inhibitor activity, we also model the full-length and truncated systems without CPP, with cyclized CPP, and with linear CPP, for a total of six systems which comprise our library. From this library, we present lead stapled peptide candidates to be synthesized and evaluated experimentally as our next-generation inhibitors against Bcr-Abl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carolina P. Lima
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Braxten D. Hornsby
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Carol S. Lim
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Thomas E. Cheatham
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
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6
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Jana ID, Bhattacharya P, Mayilsamy K, Banerjee S, Bhattacharje G, Das S, Aditya S, Ghosh A, McGill AR, Srikrishnan S, Das AK, Basak A, Mohapatra SS, Chandran B, Bhimsaria D, Mohapatra S, Roy A, Mondal A. Targeting an evolutionarily conserved "E-L-L" motif in spike protein to identify a small molecule fusion inhibitor against SARS-CoV-2. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac198. [PMID: 36712339 PMCID: PMC9802491 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
As newer variants of SARS-CoV-2 continue to pose major threats to global human health and economy, identifying novel druggable antiviral targets is the key toward sustenance. Here, we identify an evolutionarily conserved "Ex3Lx6L" ("E-L-L") motif present within the HR2 domain of all human and nonhuman coronavirus spike (S) proteins that play a crucial role in stabilizing its postfusion six-helix bundle (6-HB) structure and thus, fusion-mediated viral entry. Mutations within this motif reduce the fusogenicity of the S protein without affecting its stability or membrane localization. We found that posaconazole, an FDA-approved drug, binds to this "E-L-L" motif and impedes the formation of 6-HB, thus effectively inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection in cells. While posaconazole exhibits high efficacy in blocking S protein-mediated viral entry, mutations within the "E-L-L" motif rendered the protein completely resistant to the drug, establishing its specificity toward this motif. Our data demonstrate that posaconazole restricts early stages of infection through specific inhibition of membrane fusion and viral genome release into the host cell and is equally effective toward all major variants of concerns of SARS-CoV-2, including Beta, Kappa, Delta, and Omicron. Together, we show that this conserved essential "E-L-L" motif is an ideal target for the development of prophylactic and therapeutic interventions against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indrani Das Jana
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India
| | | | - Karthick Mayilsamy
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs, James A Haley Veterans Hospital, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Saptarshi Banerjee
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India
| | - Gourab Bhattacharje
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India
| | - Sayan Das
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India
| | - Seemanti Aditya
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India
| | - Anandita Ghosh
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Andrew R McGill
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs, James A Haley Veterans Hospital, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Syamanthak Srikrishnan
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India
| | - Amit Kumar Das
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India
| | - Amit Basak
- Division of Chemical Science, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, Mohanpur 741246, India
| | - Shyam S Mohapatra
- Department of Veterans Affairs, James A Haley Veterans Hospital, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Bala Chandran
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Devesh Bhimsaria
- Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, India
| | - Subhra Mohapatra
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs, James A Haley Veterans Hospital, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Arunava Roy
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Arindam Mondal
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India
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7
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Issmail L, Möser C, Jäger C, Altattan B, Ramsbeck D, Kleinschmidt M, Buchholz M, Smith D, Grunwald T. Prefusion-specific antibody-derived peptides trivalently presented on DNA-nanoscaffolds as an innovative strategy against RSV entry. FRONTIERS IN VIROLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fviro.2022.994843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the primary cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections in children and the elderly worldwide, for which neither a vaccine nor an effective therapy is approved. The entry of RSV into the host cell is mediated by stepwise structural changes in the surface RSV fusion (RSV-F) glycoprotein. Recent progress in structural and functional studies of RSV-F glycoprotein revealed conformation-dependent neutralizing epitopes which have become attractive targets for vaccine and therapeutic development. As RSV-F is present on viral surface in a trimeric form, a trivalent binding interaction between a candidate fusion inhibitor and the respective epitopes on each of the three monomers is expected to prevent viral infection at higher potency than a monovalent or bivalent inhibitor. Here we demonstrate a novel RSV entry inhibitory approach by implementing a trimeric DNA nanostructure as a template to display up to three linear peptide moieties that simultaneously target an epitope on the surface of the prefusion RSV-F protein. In order to design synthetic binding peptides that can be coupled to the DNA nanostructure, the prefusion RSV-F-specific monoclonal antibody (D25) was selected. Complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) derived peptides underwent truncation and alanine-scanning mutagenesis analysis, followed by systematic sequence modifications using non-canonical amino acids. The most effective peptide candidate was used as a binding moiety to functionalize the DNA nanostructure. The designed DNA-peptide construct was able to block RSV infection on cells more efficiently than the monomeric peptides, however a more moderate reduction of viral load was observed in the lungs of infected mice upon intranasal application, likely due to dissociation or absorption of the underlying DNA structure by cells in the lungs. Taken together, our results point towards the inhibitory potential of a novel trimeric DNA-peptide based approach against RSV and open the possibility to apply this platform to target other viral infections.
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8
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Monroe MK, Wang H, Anderson CF, Jia H, Flexner C, Cui H. Leveraging the therapeutic, biological, and self-assembling potential of peptides for the treatment of viral infections. J Control Release 2022; 348:1028-1049. [PMID: 35752254 PMCID: PMC11022941 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Peptides and peptide-based materials have an increasing role in the treatment of viral infections through their use as active pharmaceutical ingredients, targeting moieties, excipients, carriers, or structural components in drug delivery systems. The discovery of peptide-based therapeutic compounds, coupled with the development of new stabilization and formulation strategies, has led to a resurgence of antiviral peptide therapeutics over the past two decades. The ability of peptides to bind cell receptors and to facilitate membrane penetration and subsequent intracellular trafficking enables their use in various antiviral systems for improved targeting efficiency and treatment efficacy. Importantly, the self-assembly of peptides into well-defined nanostructures provides a vast library of discrete constructs and supramolecular biomaterials for systemic and local delivery of antiviral agents. We review here the recent progress in exploiting the therapeutic, biological, and self-assembling potential of peptides, peptide conjugates, and their supramolecular assemblies in treating human viral infections, with an emphasis on the treatment strategies for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya K Monroe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America; Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America
| | - Han Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America; Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America
| | - Caleb F Anderson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America; Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America
| | - Hongpeng Jia
- Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States of America
| | - Charles Flexner
- Divisions of Clinical Pharmacology and Infectious Diseases, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States of America.
| | - Honggang Cui
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America; Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America; Deptartment of Oncology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States of America; Center for Nanomedicine, The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 400 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231, United States of America.
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9
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Jana ID, Bhattacharya P, Mayilsamy K, Banerjee S, Bhattacharje G, Das S, Aditya S, Ghosh A, McGill AR, Srikrishnan S, Das AK, Basak A, Mohapatra SS, Chandran B, Bhimsaria D, Mohapatra S, Roy A, Mondal A. Targeting an evolutionarily conserved "E-L-L" motif in the spike protein to develop a small molecule fusion inhibitor against SARS-CoV-2. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022:2022.03.16.484554. [PMID: 35313575 PMCID: PMC8936095 DOI: 10.1101/2022.03.16.484554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
As newer variants of SARS-CoV-2 continue to pose major threats to global human health and economy, identifying novel druggable antiviral targets is the key towards sustenance. Here, we identify an evolutionary conserved E-L-L motif present within the HR2 domain of all human and non-human coronavirus spike (S) proteins that play a crucial role in stabilizing the post-fusion six-helix bundle (6-HB) structure and thus, fusion-mediated viral entry. Mutations within this motif reduce the fusogenicity of the S protein without affecting its stability or membrane localization. We found that posaconazole, an FDA-approved drug, binds to this E-L-L motif resulting in effective inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection in cells. While posaconazole exhibits high efficacy towards blocking S protein-mediated viral entry, mutations within the E-L-L motif rendered the protein completely resistant to the drug, establishing its specificity towards this motif. Our data demonstrate that posaconazole restricts early stages of infection through specific inhibition of membrane fusion and viral genome release into the host cell and is equally effective towards all major variants of concerns of SARS-CoV-2 including beta, kappa, delta, and omicron. Together, we show that this conserved essential E-L-L motif is an ideal target for the development of prophylactic and therapeutic interventions against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indrani Das Jana
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
| | | | - Karthick Mayilsamy
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs, James A Haley Veterans Hospital, Tampa, USA
| | - Saptarshi Banerjee
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
| | - Gourab Bhattacharje
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
| | - Sayan Das
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
| | - Seemanti Aditya
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
| | - Anandita Ghosh
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
| | - Andrew R. McGill
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs, James A Haley Veterans Hospital, Tampa, USA
| | | | - Amit Kumar Das
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
| | - Amit Basak
- Division of Chemical Science, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, India
| | - Shyam S. Mohapatra
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs, James A Haley Veterans Hospital, Tampa, USA
| | - Bala Chandran
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
| | | | - Subhra Mohapatra
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs, James A Haley Veterans Hospital, Tampa, USA
| | - Arunava Roy
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
| | - Arindam Mondal
- School of Bioscience, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
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10
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Chen K, Tang Y, Wu M, Wan XC, Zhang YN, Chen XX, Yu FQ, Cui ZH, Ma JM, Zhou Z, Fang GM. Head-to-Tail Cross-Linking to Generate Bicyclic Helical Peptides with Enhanced Helicity and Proteolytic Stability. Org Lett 2022; 24:53-57. [PMID: 34894695 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.1c03629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We report a new pattern of a bicyclic helical peptide constructed through head-to-tail cross-linking. The described bicyclic helical peptide has a head-to-tail cross-linking arm and a C-terminal i, i + 4 cross-linking arm. This scaffold will provide a promising scaffold for designing a proteolytically resistant helix-constrained peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Chen
- School of Life Science, Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, P. R. China
| | - Yang Tang
- Center of Minimally Invasive Treatment for Tumor, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Ultrasound Research and Education Institute, Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200072, P. R. China
| | - Meng Wu
- School of Life Science, Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Cui Wan
- School of Life Science, Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, P. R. China
| | - Yan-Ni Zhang
- School of Life Science, Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Xu Chen
- School of Life Science, Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, P. R. China
| | - Fei-Qiang Yu
- School of Life Science, Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, P. R. China
| | - Zhi-Hui Cui
- School of Life Science, Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, P. R. China
| | - Jin-Ming Ma
- School of Life Science, Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, P. R. China
| | - Zhaocai Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China
| | - Ge-Min Fang
- School of Life Science, Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, P. R. China
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11
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Interactions between the Nucleoprotein and the Phosphoprotein of Pneumoviruses: Structural Insight for Rational Design of Antivirals. Viruses 2021; 13:v13122449. [PMID: 34960719 PMCID: PMC8706346 DOI: 10.3390/v13122449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pneumoviruses include pathogenic human and animal viruses, the most known and studied being the human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) and the metapneumovirus (hMPV), which are the major cause of severe acute respiratory tract illness in young children worldwide, and main pathogens infecting elderly and immune-compromised people. The transcription and replication of these viruses take place in specific cytoplasmic inclusions called inclusion bodies (IBs). These activities depend on viral polymerase L, associated with its cofactor phosphoprotein P, for the recognition of the viral RNA genome encapsidated by the nucleoprotein N, forming the nucleocapsid (NC). The polymerase activities rely on diverse transient protein-protein interactions orchestrated by P playing the hub role. Among these interactions, P interacts with the NC to recruit L to the genome. The P protein also plays the role of chaperone to maintain the neosynthesized N monomeric and RNA-free (called N0) before specific encapsidation of the viral genome and antigenome. This review aims at giving an overview of recent structural information obtained for hRSV and hMPV P, N, and more specifically for P-NC and N0-P complexes that pave the way for the rational design of new antivirals against those viruses.
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12
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Gao B, Zhao D, Li L, Cheng Z, Guo Y. Antiviral Peptides with in vivo Activity: Development and Modes of Action. Chempluschem 2021; 86:1547-1558. [PMID: 34755499 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202100351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The viral pandemic has resulted in a growing demand for antiviral drugs. The existing small-molecule antiviral drugs are limited, due to their incidence of drug resistance and adverse side effects. As potential drugs, antiviral peptides have the benefits of high activity, high stability, and few side effects. Furthermore, the diversity of acquisition methods allows antiviral peptides to be quickly designed and yielded. The drug properties (such as high bioavailability and in vivo stability) of antiviral peptides can be improved by the developed modifications. Currently, two peptide antiviral drugs have been approved for the treatment of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Many antiviral peptides have entered clinical trials for the treatment of diseases caused by viruses. In addition, new antiviral peptides are continuously being identified and validated against virus infections. Given the benefits of antiviral peptides, they will become major antiviral drugs to combat new outbreaks caused by unknown viruses in the future. This review provides an overview of recent developments in antiviral peptides with in vivo activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Gao
- School of Public Health, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, 31 Construction Road, Donghe District, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, P. R. China
| | - Dongdong Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, 31 Construction Road, Donghe District, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, P. R. China
| | - Lingmu Li
- School of Pharmacy, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, 31 Construction Road, Donghe District, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, P. R. China
| | - Zhigang Cheng
- School of Pharmacy, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, 31 Construction Road, Donghe District, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, P. R. China
| | - Ye Guo
- School of Pharmacy, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, 31 Construction Road, Donghe District, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, P. R. China
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Disease-Related Biomarkers, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, 31 Construction Road, Donghe District, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, P. R. China
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13
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Kunig VBK, Potowski M, Klika Škopić M, Brunschweiger A. Scanning Protein Surfaces with DNA-Encoded Libraries. ChemMedChem 2021; 16:1048-1062. [PMID: 33295694 PMCID: PMC8048995 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the ligandability of a target protein, defined as the capability of a protein to bind drug-like compounds on any site, can give important stimuli to drug-development projects. For instance, inhibition of protein-protein interactions usually depends on the identification of protein surface binders. DNA-encoded chemical libraries (DELs) allow scanning of protein surfaces with large chemical space. Encoded library selection screens uncovered several protein-protein interaction inhibitors and compounds binding to the surface of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and kinases. The protein surface-binding chemotypes from DELs are predominantly chemically modified and cyclized peptides, and functional small-molecule peptidomimetics. Peptoid libraries and structural peptidomimetics have been less studied in the DEL field, hinting at hitherto less populated chemical space and suggesting alternative library designs. Roughly a third of bioactive molecules evolved from smaller, target-focused libraries. They showcase the potential of encoded libraries to identify more potent molecules from weak, for example, fragment-like, starting points.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena B. K. Kunig
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyTU Dortmund UniversityOtto-Hahn-Straße 644227DortmundGermany
| | - Marco Potowski
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyTU Dortmund UniversityOtto-Hahn-Straße 644227DortmundGermany
| | - Mateja Klika Škopić
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyTU Dortmund UniversityOtto-Hahn-Straße 644227DortmundGermany
| | - Andreas Brunschweiger
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyTU Dortmund UniversityOtto-Hahn-Straße 644227DortmundGermany
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14
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Stocks BB, Bird GH, Walensky LD, Melanson JE. Characterizing Native and Hydrocarbon-Stapled Enfuvirtide Conformations with Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry and Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2021; 32:753-761. [PMID: 33534566 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.0c00453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The number of approved peptide therapeutics, as well as those in development, has been increasing in recent years. Frequently, the biological activity of such peptides is elicited through the adoption of secondary structural elements upon interaction with their cellular target. However, many therapeutic peptides are unstructured in solution and accordingly exhibit a poor bioavailability due to rapid proteolysis in vivo. To combat this degradation, numerous naturally occurring peptides with therapeutic properties contain stabilizing features, such as N-to-C cyclization or disulfide bonds. Recently, hydrocarbon stapling via non-native amino acid substitution followed by ring-closing metathesis has been shown to induce a dramatic stabilization of α-helical peptides. Identifying the ideal staple location along the peptide backbone is a critical developmental step, and methods to streamline this optimization are needed. Mass spectrometry-based methods such as ion mobility (IM) and hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) can detect multiple discrete peptide conformations, a significant advantage over bulk spectroscopic techniques. In this study we use IM-MS and HDX-MS to demonstrate that the native 36-residue enfuvirtide peptide is highly dynamic in solution and the conformational ensemble populated by stabilized constructs depends heavily on the staple location. Further, our measurements yielded results that correlate well with the average α-helical content measured by circular dichroism. The MS-based approaches described herein represent sensitive and potentially high-throughput methods for characterizing and identifying optimally stapled peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley B Stocks
- Metrology, National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Gregory H Bird
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Loren D Walensky
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Jeremy E Melanson
- Metrology, National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
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15
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Markoutsa E, McGill AR, Singer A, Jadhav H, Mohapatra S, Mohapatra SS. A multifunctional nanoparticle as a prophylactic and therapeutic approach targeting respiratory syncytial virus. NANOMEDICINE : NANOTECHNOLOGY, BIOLOGY, AND MEDICINE 2021; 32:102325. [PMID: 33186695 DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2020.102325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) has been a major health concern globally for decades, yet no effective prophylactic or treatment regimen is available. The key viral proteins responsible for RSV pathology include the fusion protein (F), the immunomodulatory non-structural-protein 1 (NS1) and the phosphoprotein (P) involved in viral replication. Herein, we developed a novel shell-core multifunctional nanosystem with dual payload: a plasmid construct encoding for shRNAs against NS1 and P, and an anti-fusion peptide (HR2D). Anti-ICAM1 antibody conjugated on the nanoparticle (NP) surface is used to target RSV infected cells. Our data show the potential of this nanosystem as a prophylactic and/or a therapeutic regimen against RSV infection. Furthermore, therapy of RSV infected mice with this nanosystem, in addition to reducing viral load, modulated expression of Th2 and allergy-associated cytokines such as IL4, IL-13 and IL-17 indicating a direct role of this nanosystem in the mechanisms involved in the immunoregulation of disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Markoutsa
- James A Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA; Center for Research and Education in Nanobio-engineering, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; College of Pharmacy Graduate Programs, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Andrew R McGill
- James A Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Anthony Singer
- College of Pharmacy Graduate Programs, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Heta Jadhav
- College of Pharmacy Graduate Programs, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Subhra Mohapatra
- James A Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA; Center for Research and Education in Nanobio-engineering, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Shyam S Mohapatra
- James A Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA; Center for Research and Education in Nanobio-engineering, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; College of Pharmacy Graduate Programs, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
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16
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Targeting the Respiratory Syncytial Virus N 0-P Complex with Constrained α-Helical Peptides in Cells and Mice. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2020; 64:AAC.00717-20. [PMID: 32660994 PMCID: PMC7508628 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00717-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the main cause of severe respiratory infection in young children worldwide, and no therapies have been approved for the treatment of RSV infection. Data from recent clinical trials of fusion or L polymerase inhibitors for the treatment of RSV-infected patients revealed the emergence of escape mutants, highlighting the need for the discovery of inhibitors with novel mechanisms of action. Here we describe stapled peptides derived from the N terminus of the phosphoprotein (P) that act as replication inhibitors. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the main cause of severe respiratory infection in young children worldwide, and no therapies have been approved for the treatment of RSV infection. Data from recent clinical trials of fusion or L polymerase inhibitors for the treatment of RSV-infected patients revealed the emergence of escape mutants, highlighting the need for the discovery of inhibitors with novel mechanisms of action. Here we describe stapled peptides derived from the N terminus of the phosphoprotein (P) that act as replication inhibitors. We demonstrate that these peptides inhibit RSV replication in vitro and in vivo by preventing the formation of the N0-P complex. The present strategy provides a novel means of targeting RSV replication with constrained macrocyclic peptides or small molecules and is broadly applicable to other viruses of the Mononegavirales order.
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17
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Gupta MN, Roy I. Drugs, host proteins and viral proteins: how their promiscuities shape antiviral design. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 96:205-222. [PMID: 32918378 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The reciprocal nature of drug specificity and target specificity implies that the same is true for their respective promiscuities. Protein promiscuity has two broadly different types of footprint in drug design. The first is relaxed specificity of binding sites for substrates, inhibitors, effectors or cofactors. The second involves protein-protein interactions of regulatory processes such as signal transduction and transcription, and here protein intrinsic disorder plays an important role. Both viruses and host cells exploit intrinsic disorder for their survival, as do the design and discovery programs for antivirals. Drug action, strictly speaking, always relies upon promiscuous activity, with drug promiscuity enlarging its scope. Drug repurposing searches for additional promiscuity on the part of both the drug and the target in the host. Understanding the subtle nuances of these promiscuities is critical in the design of novel and more effective antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munishwar Nath Gupta
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Ipsita Roy
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Sector 67, S.A.S. Nagar, Punjab, 160062, India
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18
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Li X, Chen S, Zhang WD, Hu HG. Stapled Helical Peptides Bearing Different Anchoring Residues. Chem Rev 2020; 120:10079-10144. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Insititute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Si Chen
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-Dong Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong-Gang Hu
- Insititute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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19
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Hara K, Yaita K, Khamrin P, Kumthip K, Kashiwagi T, Eléouët JF, Rameix-Welti MA, Watanabe H. A small fragmented P protein of respiratory syncytial virus inhibits virus infection by targeting P protein. J Gen Virol 2020; 101:21-32. [PMID: 31702536 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptide-based inhibitors hold promising potential in the development of antiviral therapy. Here, we investigated the antiviral potential of fragmented viral proteins derived from ribonucleoprotein (RNP) components of the human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV). Based on a mimicking approach that targets the functional domains of viral proteins, we designed various fragments of nucleoprotein (N), matrix protein M2-1 and phosphoprotein (P) and tested the antiviral activity in an RSV mini-genome system. We found that the fragment comprising residues 130-180 and 212-241 in the C-terminal region of P (81 amino acid length), denoted as P Fr, significantly inhibited the polymerase activity through competitive binding to the full-length P. Further deletion analysis of P Fr suggested that three functional domains in P Fr (oligomerization, L-binding and nucleocapsid binding) are required for maximum inhibitory activity. More importantly, a purified recombinant P Fr displayed significant antiviral activity at low nanomolar range in RSV-infected HEp-2 cells. These results highlight P as an important target for the development of antiviral compounds against RSV and other paramyxoviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koyu Hara
- Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, 830-0011, Japan
| | - Kenichiro Yaita
- Division of Infectious diseases, Chidoribashi General Hospital, Fukuoka 812-8633, Japan
| | - Pattara Khamrin
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
| | - Kattareeya Kumthip
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
| | - Takahito Kashiwagi
- Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, 830-0011, Japan
| | - Jean-François Eléouët
- Unité de Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires (UR892), INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Marie-Anne Rameix-Welti
- AP-HP, Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Hôpital Ambroise Paré, Boulogne-Billancourt, France.,UMR1173, INSERM, Université de Versailles St. Quentin, Montigny le Bretonneux, France
| | - Hiroshi Watanabe
- Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, 830-0011, Japan
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20
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Bird GH, Fu A, Escudero S, Godes M, Opoku-Nsiah K, Wales TE, Cameron MD, Engen JR, Danial NN, Walensky LD. Hydrocarbon-Stitched Peptide Agonists of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:1340-1348. [PMID: 32348108 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is a natural peptide agonist of the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) found on pancreatic β-cells. Engagement of the receptor stimulates insulin release in a glucose-dependent fashion and increases β-cell mass, two ideal features for pharmacologic management of type 2 diabetes. Thus, intensive efforts have focused on developing GLP-1-based peptide agonists of GLP-1R for therapeutic application. A primary challenge has been the naturally short half-life of GLP-1 due to its rapid proteolytic degradation in vivo. Whereas mutagenesis and lipidation strategies have yielded clinical agents, we developed an alternative approach to preserving the structure and function of GLP-1 by all-hydrocarbon i, i + 7 stitching. This particular "stitch" is especially well-suited for reinforcing and protecting the structural fidelity of GLP-1. Lead constructs demonstrate striking proteolytic stability and potent biological activity in vivo. Thus, we report a facile approach to generating alternative GLP-1R agonists for glycemic control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory H. Bird
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Accalia Fu
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Silvia Escudero
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Marina Godes
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Kwadwo Opoku-Nsiah
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Thomas E. Wales
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Michael D. Cameron
- DMPK Core, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - John R. Engen
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Nika N. Danial
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Loren D. Walensky
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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21
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Kannan S, Aronica PGA, Ng S, Gek Lian DT, Frosi Y, Chee S, Shimin J, Yuen TY, Sadruddin A, Kaan HYK, Chandramohan A, Wong JH, Tan YS, Chang ZW, Ferrer-Gago FJ, Arumugam P, Han Y, Chen S, Rénia L, Brown CJ, Johannes CW, Henry B, Lane DP, Sawyer TK, Verma CS, Partridge AW. Macrocyclization of an all-d linear α-helical peptide imparts cellular permeability. Chem Sci 2020; 11:5577-5591. [PMID: 32874502 PMCID: PMC7441689 DOI: 10.1039/c9sc06383h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide-based molecules hold great potential as targeted inhibitors of intracellular protein-protein interactions (PPIs). Indeed, the vast diversity of chemical space conferred through their primary, secondary and tertiary structures allows these molecules to be applied to targets that are typically deemed intractable via small molecules. However, the development of peptide therapeutics has been hindered by their limited conformational stability, proteolytic sensitivity and cell permeability. Several contemporary peptide design strategies are aimed at addressing these issues. Strategic macrocyclization through optimally placed chemical braces such as olefinic hydrocarbon crosslinks, commonly referred to as staples, may improve peptide properties by (i) restricting conformational freedom to improve target affinities, (ii) improving proteolytic resistance, and (iii) enhancing cell permeability. As a second strategy, molecules constructed entirely from d-amino acids are hyper-resistant to proteolytic cleavage, but generally lack conformational stability and membrane permeability. Since neither approach is a complete solution, we have combined these strategies to identify the first examples of all-d α-helical stapled and stitched peptides. As a template, we used a recently reported all d-linear peptide that is a potent inhibitor of the p53-Mdm2 interaction, but is devoid of cellular activity. To design both stapled and stitched all-d-peptide analogues, we used computational modelling to predict optimal staple placement. The resultant novel macrocyclic all d-peptide was determined to exhibit increased α-helicity, improved target binding, complete proteolytic stability and, most notably, cellular activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srinivasaraghavan Kannan
- Bioinformatics Institute , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix , Singapore 138671 , Singapore . ; ; ; Tel: +65 6478 8353 ; Tel: +65 6478 8273
| | - Pietro G A Aronica
- Bioinformatics Institute , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix , Singapore 138671 , Singapore . ; ; ; Tel: +65 6478 8353 ; Tel: +65 6478 8273
| | - Simon Ng
- p53 Laboratory , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 8A Biomedical Grove, #06-04/05, Neuros/Immunos , Singapore 138648
| | - Dawn Thean Gek Lian
- p53 Laboratory , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 8A Biomedical Grove, #06-04/05, Neuros/Immunos , Singapore 138648
| | - Yuri Frosi
- p53 Laboratory , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 8A Biomedical Grove, #06-04/05, Neuros/Immunos , Singapore 138648
| | - Sharon Chee
- p53 Laboratory , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 8A Biomedical Grove, #06-04/05, Neuros/Immunos , Singapore 138648
| | - Jiang Shimin
- p53 Laboratory , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 8A Biomedical Grove, #06-04/05, Neuros/Immunos , Singapore 138648
| | - Tsz Ying Yuen
- Institute of Chemical & Engineering Science , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 8 Biomedical Grove, #07, Neuros Building , Singapore 138665
| | - Ahmad Sadruddin
- MSD International , Translation Medicine Research Centre , 8 Biomedical Grove, #04-01/05 Neuros Building , Singapore , 138665 , Singapore .
| | - Hung Yi Kristal Kaan
- MSD International , Translation Medicine Research Centre , 8 Biomedical Grove, #04-01/05 Neuros Building , Singapore , 138665 , Singapore .
| | - Arun Chandramohan
- MSD International , Translation Medicine Research Centre , 8 Biomedical Grove, #04-01/05 Neuros Building , Singapore , 138665 , Singapore .
| | - Jin Huei Wong
- Bioinformatics Institute , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix , Singapore 138671 , Singapore . ; ; ; Tel: +65 6478 8353 ; Tel: +65 6478 8273
| | - Yaw Sing Tan
- Bioinformatics Institute , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix , Singapore 138671 , Singapore . ; ; ; Tel: +65 6478 8353 ; Tel: +65 6478 8273
| | - Zi Wei Chang
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 8A Biomedical Grove, #03-06, Immunos , Singapore 138648
| | - Fernando J Ferrer-Gago
- p53 Laboratory , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 8A Biomedical Grove, #06-04/05, Neuros/Immunos , Singapore 138648
| | - Prakash Arumugam
- Bioinformatics Institute , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix , Singapore 138671 , Singapore . ; ; ; Tel: +65 6478 8353 ; Tel: +65 6478 8273
| | - Yi Han
- Merck & Co., Inc. , Kenilworth , New Jersey , USA
| | - Shiying Chen
- Merck & Co., Inc. , Kenilworth , New Jersey , USA
| | - Laurent Rénia
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 8A Biomedical Grove, #03-06, Immunos , Singapore 138648
| | - Christopher J Brown
- p53 Laboratory , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 8A Biomedical Grove, #06-04/05, Neuros/Immunos , Singapore 138648
| | - Charles W Johannes
- Institute of Chemical & Engineering Science , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 8 Biomedical Grove, #07, Neuros Building , Singapore 138665
| | - Brian Henry
- MSD International , Translation Medicine Research Centre , 8 Biomedical Grove, #04-01/05 Neuros Building , Singapore , 138665 , Singapore .
| | - David P Lane
- p53 Laboratory , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 8A Biomedical Grove, #06-04/05, Neuros/Immunos , Singapore 138648
| | | | - Chandra S Verma
- Bioinformatics Institute , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) , 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix , Singapore 138671 , Singapore . ; ; ; Tel: +65 6478 8353 ; Tel: +65 6478 8273
- School of Biological Sciences , Nanyang Technological University , 60 Nanyang Drive , Singapore 637551
- Department of Biological Sciences , National University of Singapore , 14 Science Drive 4 , Singapore 117543
| | - Anthony W Partridge
- MSD International , Translation Medicine Research Centre , 8 Biomedical Grove, #04-01/05 Neuros Building , Singapore , 138665 , Singapore .
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22
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Mourtada R, Herce HD, Yin DJ, Moroco JA, Wales TE, Engen JR, Walensky LD. Design of stapled antimicrobial peptides that are stable, nontoxic and kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria in mice. Nat Biotechnol 2019; 37:1186-1197. [PMID: 31427820 PMCID: PMC7437984 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-019-0222-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The clinical translation of cationic α-helical antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) has been hindered by structural instability, proteolytic degradation and in vivo toxicity from nonspecific membrane lysis. Although analyses of hydrophobic content and charge distribution have informed the design of synthetic AMPs with increased potency and reduced in vitro hemolysis, nonspecific membrane toxicity in vivo continues to impede AMP drug development. Here, we analyzed a 58-member library of stapled AMPs (StAMPs) based on magainin II and applied the insights from structure-function-toxicity measurements to devise an algorithm for the design of stable, protease-resistant, potent and nontoxic StAMP prototypes. We show that a lead double-stapled StAMP named Mag(i+4)1,15(A9K,B21A,N22K,S23K) can kill multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, such as colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in a mouse peritonitis-sepsis model, without observed hemolysis or renal injury in murine toxicity studies. Inputting the amino acid sequences alone, we further generated membrane-selective StAMPs of pleurocidin, CAP18 and esculentin, highlighting the generalizability of our design platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rida Mourtada
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Henry D Herce
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel J Yin
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jamie A Moroco
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Barnett Institute of Chemical and Biological Analysis, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thomas E Wales
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Barnett Institute of Chemical and Biological Analysis, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John R Engen
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Barnett Institute of Chemical and Biological Analysis, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Loren D Walensky
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
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23
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Cholesterol-conjugated stapled peptides inhibit Ebola and Marburg viruses in vitro and in vivo. Antiviral Res 2019; 171:104592. [PMID: 31473342 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2019.104592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Filoviridae currently includes five official and one proposed genera. Genus Ebolavirus includes five established and one proposed ebolavirus species for Bombali virus (BOMV), Bundibugyo virus (BDBV), Ebola virus (EBOV), Reston virus (RESTV), Sudan virus (SUDV) and Taï Forest virus (TAFV), and genus Marburgvirus includes a single species for Marburg virus (MARV) and Ravn virus (RAVV). Ebola virus (EBOV) has emerged as a significant public health concern since the 2013-2016 Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in Western Africa. Currently, there are no therapeutics approved and the need for Ebola-specific therapeutics remains a gap. In search for anti-Ebola therapies we tested the idea of using inhibitory properties of peptides corresponding to the C-terminal heptad-repeat (HR2) domains of class I fusion proteins against EBOV infection. The fusion protein GP2 of EBOV belongs to class I, suggesting that a similar strategy to HIV may be applied to inhibit EBOV infection. The serum half-life of peptides was expanded by cholesterol conjugation to allow daily dosing. The peptides were further constrained to stabilize a helical structure to increase the potency of inhibition. The EC50s of lead peptides were in low micromolar range, as determined by a high-content imaging test of EBOV-infected cells. Lead peptides were tested in an EBOV lethal mouse model and efficacy of the peptides were determined following twice-daily administration of peptides for 9 days. The most potent peptide was able to protect mice from lethal challenge of mouse-adapted Ebola virus. These data show that engineered peptides coupled with cholesterol can inhibit viral production, protect mice against lethal EBOV infection, and may be used to build novel therapeutics against EBOV.
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24
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Nyanguile O. Peptide Antiviral Strategies as an Alternative to Treat Lower Respiratory Viral Infections. Front Immunol 2019; 10:1366. [PMID: 31293570 PMCID: PMC6598224 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Lower respiratory infection caused by human pathogens such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a significant healthcare burden that must be addressed. The preferred options to achieve this goal are usually to develop vaccines for prophylaxis and to develop antiviral small molecules to treat infected patients with convenient, orally administrable drugs. However, developing a vaccine against RSV poses special challenges with the diminished immune system of infants and the elderly, and finding a universal flu vaccine is difficult because the product must target a large array of viral strains. On the other hand, the use of small-molecule antivirals can result in the emergence of resistant viruses as it has well-been reported for HIV, influenza, and hepatitis C virus (HCV). This paper reviews peptide antiviral strategies as an alternative to address these challenges. The discovery of influenza and RSV peptidic fusion inhibitors will be discussed and compared to small molecules in view of escape mutations. The importance of constraining peptides into macrocycles to improve both their inhibitory activity and pharmacological properties will be highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Origène Nyanguile
- HES-SO Valais-Wallis, Institute of Life Technologies, Sion, Switzerland
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25
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Esneau C, Raynal B, Roblin P, Brûlé S, Richard CA, Fix J, Eléouët JF, Galloux M. Biochemical characterization of the respiratory syncytial virus N 0-P complex in solution. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:3647-3660. [PMID: 30626736 PMCID: PMC6416419 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.006453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
As all the viruses belonging to the Mononegavirales order, the nonsegmented negative-strand RNA genome of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is encapsidated by the viral nucleoprotein N. N protein polymerizes along the genomic and anti-genomic RNAs during replication. This requires the maintenance of the neosynthesized N protein in a monomeric and RNA-free form by the viral phosphoprotein P that plays the role of a chaperone protein, forming a soluble N0-P complex. We have previously demonstrated that residues 1-30 of P specifically bind to N0 Here, to isolate a stable N0-P complex suitable for structural studies, we used the N-terminal peptide of P (P40) to purify truncated forms of the N protein. We show that to purify a stable N0-P-like complex, a deletion of the first 30 N-terminal residues of N (NΔ30) is required to impair N oligomerization, whereas the presence of a full-length C-arm of N is required to inhibit RNA binding. We generated structural models of the RSV N0-P with biophysical approaches, including hydrodynamic measurements and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), coupled with biochemical and functional analyses of human RSV (hRSV) NΔ30 mutants. These models suggest a strong structural homology between the hRSV and the human metapneumovirus (hMPV) N0-P complexes. In both complexes, the P40-binding sites on N0 appear to be similar, and the C-arm of N provides a high flexibility and a propensity to interact with the N RNA groove. These findings reveal two potential sites to target on N0-P for the development of RSV antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Esneau
- From the Untié de Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Bertrand Raynal
- Plate-forme de Biophysique Moléculaire, C2RT, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Pierre Roblin
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, L'Orme des Merisiers, F-91410 Saint Aubin, France, and
- Laboratoire de Génie Chimique, Université Paul Sabatier, UMR 5503, Toulouse, France
| | - Sébastien Brûlé
- Plate-forme de Biophysique Moléculaire, C2RT, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Charles-Adrien Richard
- From the Untié de Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Jenna Fix
- From the Untié de Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Jean-François Eléouët
- From the Untié de Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France,
| | - Marie Galloux
- From the Untié de Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France,
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26
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Villavicencio B, Ligabue-Braun R, Verli H. All-Hydrocarbon Staples and Their Effect over Peptide Conformation under Different Force Fields. J Chem Inf Model 2018; 58:2015-2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.8b00404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Villavicencio
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 91500-970 Porto Alegre-RS, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Ligabue-Braun
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 91500-970 Porto Alegre-RS, Brazil
| | - Hugo Verli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 91500-970 Porto Alegre-RS, Brazil
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27
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Cornillie SP, Bruno BJ, Lim CS, Cheatham TE. Computational Modeling of Stapled Peptides toward a Treatment Strategy for CML and Broader Implications in the Design of Lengthy Peptide Therapeutics. J Phys Chem B 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b01014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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28
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Zhu Z, Shaginian A, Grady LC, O’Keeffe T, Shi XE, Davie CP, Simpson GL, Messer JA, Evindar G, Bream RN, Thansandote PP, Prentice NR, Mason AM, Pal S. Design and Application of a DNA-Encoded Macrocyclic Peptide Library. ACS Chem Biol 2018; 13:53-59. [PMID: 29185700 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
A DNA-encoded macrocyclic peptide library was designed and synthesized with 2.4 × 1012 members composed of 4-20 natural and non-natural amino acids. Affinity-based selection was performed against two therapeutic targets, VHL and RSV N protein. On the basis of selection data, some peptides were selected for resynthesis without a DNA tag, and their activity was confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengrong Zhu
- GlaxoSmithKline, 200 Cambridge Park Dr., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140, United States
| | - Alex Shaginian
- GlaxoSmithKline, 200 Cambridge Park Dr., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140, United States
| | - LaShadric C. Grady
- GlaxoSmithKline, 200 Cambridge Park Dr., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140, United States
| | - Thomas O’Keeffe
- GlaxoSmithKline, 200 Cambridge Park Dr., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140, United States
| | - Xiangguo E. Shi
- GlaxoSmithKline, 200 Cambridge Park Dr., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140, United States
| | - Christopher P. Davie
- GlaxoSmithKline, 200 Cambridge Park Dr., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140, United States
| | - Graham L. Simpson
- GlaxoSmithKline, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, SG1 2NY, United Kingdom
| | - Jeffrey A. Messer
- GlaxoSmithKline, 200 Cambridge Park Dr., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140, United States
| | - Ghotas Evindar
- GlaxoSmithKline, 200 Cambridge Park Dr., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140, United States
| | - Robert N. Bream
- GlaxoSmithKline, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, SG1 2NY, United Kingdom
| | | | - Naomi R. Prentice
- GlaxoSmithKline, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, SG1 2NY, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew M. Mason
- GlaxoSmithKline, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, SG1 2NY, United Kingdom
| | - Sandeep Pal
- GlaxoSmithKline, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, SG1 2NY, United Kingdom
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29
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Valeur E, Guéret SM, Adihou H, Gopalakrishnan R, Lemurell M, Waldmann H, Grossmann TN, Plowright AT. New Modalities for Challenging Targets in Drug Discovery. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017; 56:10294-10323. [PMID: 28186380 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201611914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 233] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Revised: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Our ever-increasing understanding of biological systems is providing a range of exciting novel biological targets, whose modulation may enable novel therapeutic options for many diseases. These targets include protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions, which are, however, often refractory to classical small-molecule approaches. Other types of molecules, or modalities, are therefore required to address these targets, which has led several academic research groups and pharmaceutical companies to increasingly use the concept of so-called "new modalities". This Review defines for the first time the scope of this term, which includes novel peptidic scaffolds, oligonucleotides, hybrids, molecular conjugates, as well as new uses of classical small molecules. We provide the most representative examples of these modalities to target large binding surface areas such as those found in protein-protein interactions and for biological processes at the center of cell regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Valeur
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Pepparedsleden 1, Mölndal, 431 83, Sweden
| | - Stéphanie M Guéret
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Pepparedsleden 1, Mölndal, 431 83, Sweden.,AstraZeneca MPI Satellite Unit, Abteilung Chemische Biologie, Max Planck Institut für Molekulare Physiologie, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Hélène Adihou
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Pepparedsleden 1, Mölndal, 431 83, Sweden.,AstraZeneca MPI Satellite Unit, Abteilung Chemische Biologie, Max Planck Institut für Molekulare Physiologie, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Ranganath Gopalakrishnan
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Pepparedsleden 1, Mölndal, 431 83, Sweden.,AstraZeneca MPI Satellite Unit, Abteilung Chemische Biologie, Max Planck Institut für Molekulare Physiologie, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Malin Lemurell
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Pepparedsleden 1, Mölndal, 431 83, Sweden
| | - Herbert Waldmann
- Abteilung Chemische Biologie, Max Planck Institut für Molekulare Physiologie, Dortmund, Germany.,Fakultät für Chemie und Chemische Biologie, Technische Universität Dortmund, Germany
| | - Tom N Grossmann
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Dortmund, Germany.,Department of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alleyn T Plowright
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Pepparedsleden 1, Mölndal, 431 83, Sweden
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30
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Valeur E, Guéret SM, Adihou H, Gopalakrishnan R, Lemurell M, Waldmann H, Grossmann TN, Plowright AT. Neue Modalitäten für schwierige Zielstrukturen in der Wirkstoffentwicklung. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201611914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Valeur
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases; Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit; AstraZeneca; Pepparedsleden 1 Mölndal 431 83 Schweden
| | - Stéphanie M. Guéret
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases; Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit; AstraZeneca; Pepparedsleden 1 Mölndal 431 83 Schweden
- AstraZeneca MPI Satellite Unit; Abteilung Chemische Biologie; Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Physiologie; Dortmund Deutschland
| | - Hélène Adihou
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases; Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit; AstraZeneca; Pepparedsleden 1 Mölndal 431 83 Schweden
- AstraZeneca MPI Satellite Unit; Abteilung Chemische Biologie; Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Physiologie; Dortmund Deutschland
| | - Ranganath Gopalakrishnan
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases; Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit; AstraZeneca; Pepparedsleden 1 Mölndal 431 83 Schweden
- AstraZeneca MPI Satellite Unit; Abteilung Chemische Biologie; Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Physiologie; Dortmund Deutschland
| | - Malin Lemurell
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases; Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit; AstraZeneca; Pepparedsleden 1 Mölndal 431 83 Schweden
| | - Herbert Waldmann
- Abteilung Chemische Biologie; Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Physiologie; Dortmund Deutschland
- Fakultät für Chemie and Chemische Biologie; Technische Universität Dortmund; Deutschland
| | - Tom N. Grossmann
- Chemical Genomics Centre der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft; Dortmund Deutschland
- Department of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Sciences; VU University Amsterdam; Niederlande
| | - Alleyn T. Plowright
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases; Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit; AstraZeneca; Pepparedsleden 1 Mölndal 431 83 Schweden
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31
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A Short Double-Stapled Peptide Inhibits Respiratory Syncytial Virus Entry and Spreading. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2017; 61:AAC.02241-16. [PMID: 28137809 PMCID: PMC5365662 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02241-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic peptides derived from the heptad repeat (HR) of fusion (F) proteins can be used as dominant negative inhibitors to inhibit the fusion mechanism of class I viral F proteins. Here, we have performed a stapled-peptide scan across the HR2 domain of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) F protein with the aim to identify a minimal domain capable of disrupting the formation of the postfusion six-helix bundle required for viral cell entry. Constraining the peptides with a single staple was not sufficient to inhibit RSV infection. However, the insertion of double staples led to the identification of novel short stapled peptides that display nanomolar potency in HEp-2 cells and are exceptionally robust to proteolytic degradation. By replacing each amino acid of the peptides by an alanine, we found that the substitution of residues 506 to 509, located in a patch of polar contacts between HR2 and HR1, severely affected inhibition. Finally, we show that intranasal delivery of the most potent peptide to BALB/c mice significantly decreased RSV infection in upper and lower respiratory tracts. The discovery of this minimal HR2 sequence as a means for inhibition of RSV infection provides the basis for further medicinal chemistry efforts toward developing RSV fusion antivirals.
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32
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Abstract
Bio-inspired synthetic backbones leading to foldamers can provide effective biopolymer mimics with new and improved properties in a physiological environment, and in turn could serve as useful tools to study biology and lead to practical applications in the areas of diagnostics or therapeutics. Remarkable progress has been accomplished over the past 20 years with the discovery of many potent bioactive foldamers originating from diverse backbones and targeting a whole spectrum of bio(macro)molecules such as membranes, protein surfaces, and nucleic acids. These current achievements, future opportunities, and key challenges that remain are discussed in this article.
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33
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Synthetic Biodegradable Microparticle and Nanoparticle Vaccines against the Respiratory Syncytial Virus. Vaccines (Basel) 2016; 4:vaccines4040045. [PMID: 27918420 PMCID: PMC5192365 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines4040045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Revised: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biodegradable microparticle and nanoparticle platform technology provides the opportunity to design particles varying in composition, size, shape and surface properties for application in vaccine development. The use of particle vaccine formulations allows improvement of antigen stability and immunogenicity while allowing targeted delivery and slow release. This technology has been design to develop novel vaccines against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infection in infants. In the last decade, several nano- and micro-sized RSV vaccine candidates have been developed and tested in animal models showing promising results. This review provides an overview of recent advances in prophylactic particle vaccines for RSV and the multiple factors that can affect vaccine efficacy.
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34
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Bird GH, Mazzola E, Opoku-Nsiah K, Lammert MA, Godes M, Neuberg DS, Walensky LD. Biophysical determinants for cellular uptake of hydrocarbon-stapled peptide helices. Nat Chem Biol 2016; 12:845-52. [PMID: 27547919 PMCID: PMC5055751 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.2153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Hydrocarbon-stapled peptides are a class of bioactive alpha-helical ligands developed to dissect and target protein interactions. While there is consensus that stapled peptides can be effective chemical tools for investigating protein regulation, their broader utility for therapeutic modulation of intracellular interactions remains an active area of study. In particular, the design principles for generating cell-permeable stapled peptides are empiric, yet consistent intracellular access is essential to in vivo application. Here, we used an unbiased statistical approach to determine which biophysical parameters dictate the uptake of stapled-peptide libraries. We found that staple placement at the amphipathic boundary combined with optimal hydrophobic and helical content are the key drivers of cellular uptake, whereas excess hydrophobicity and positive charge at isolated amino acid positions can trigger membrane lysis at elevated peptide dosing. Our results provide a design roadmap for maximizing the potential to generate cell-permeable stapled peptides with on-mechanism cellular activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory H. Bird
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
| | - Emanuele Mazzola
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
| | - Kwadwo Opoku-Nsiah
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
| | - Margaret A. Lammert
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
| | - Marina Godes
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
| | - Donna S. Neuberg
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
| | - Loren D. Walensky
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
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35
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Stapled peptide design: principles and roles of computation. Drug Discov Today 2016; 21:1642-1653. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2016.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Cromm PM, Spiegel J, Küchler P, Dietrich L, Kriegesmann J, Wendt M, Goody RS, Waldmann H, Grossmann TN. Protease-Resistant and Cell-Permeable Double-Stapled Peptides Targeting the Rab8a GTPase. ACS Chem Biol 2016; 11:2375-82. [PMID: 27336832 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.6b00386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Small GTPases comprise a family of highly relevant targets in chemical biology and medicinal chemistry research and have been considered "undruggable" due to the persisting lack of effective synthetic modulators and suitable binding pockets. As molecular switches, small GTPases control a multitude of pivotal cellular functions, and their dysregulation is associated with many human diseases such as various forms of cancer. Rab-GTPases represent the largest subfamily of small GTPases and are master regulators of vesicular transport interacting with various proteins via flat and extensive protein-protein interactions (PPIs). The only reported synthetic inhibitor of a PPI involving an activated Rab GTPase is the hydrocarbon stapled peptide StRIP3. However, this macrocyclic peptide shows low proteolytic stability and cell permeability. Here, we report the design of a bioavailable StRIP3 analogue that harbors two hydrophobic cross-links and exhibits increased binding affinity, combined with robust cellular uptake and extremely high proteolytic stability. Localization experiments reveal that this double-stapled peptide and its target protein Rab8a accumulate in the same cellular compartments. The reported approach offers a strategy for the implementation of biostability into conformationally constrained peptides while supporting cellular uptake and target affinity, thereby conveying drug-like properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp M. Cromm
- Department
of Chemical Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Technische Universität Dortmund, Fakultät
für Chemie und Chemische Biologie, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 15, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jochen Spiegel
- Department
of Chemical Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Technische Universität Dortmund, Fakultät
für Chemie und Chemische Biologie, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 15, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Philipp Küchler
- Department
of Chemical Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Technische Universität Dortmund, Fakultät
für Chemie und Chemische Biologie, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Laura Dietrich
- Technische Universität Dortmund, Fakultät
für Chemie und Chemische Biologie, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 15, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Julia Kriegesmann
- Technische Universität Dortmund, Fakultät
für Chemie und Chemische Biologie, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 15, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
- VU University Amsterdam, Department of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Sciences, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mathias Wendt
- Technische Universität Dortmund, Fakultät
für Chemie und Chemische Biologie, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 15, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
- VU University Amsterdam, Department of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Sciences, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roger S. Goody
- Structural
Biochemistry, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse
11, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Herbert Waldmann
- Department
of Chemical Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Technische Universität Dortmund, Fakultät
für Chemie und Chemische Biologie, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Tom N. Grossmann
- Technische Universität Dortmund, Fakultät
für Chemie und Chemische Biologie, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 15, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
- VU University Amsterdam, Department of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Sciences, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Rajitha P, Gopinath D, Biswas R, Sabitha M, Jayakumar R. Chitosan nanoparticles in drug therapy of infectious and inflammatory diseases. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2016; 13:1177-94. [PMID: 27087148 DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2016.1178232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chitosan, a polymer from the chitin family has diverse pharmaceutical and bio-medical utility because of its easy widespread availability, non-toxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, rich functionalities and high drug-loading capacity. Recent pharmaceutical research has examined the use of chitosan-based systems for drug delivery applications in various diseases. The availability of functional groups permits the conjugation of specific ligands and thus helps to target loaded drugs to the site of infection/inflammation. Slow biodegradation of chitosan permits controlled and sustained release of loaded moieties; reduces the dosing frequency and is useful for improving patient compliance in infectious drug therapy. The muco-adhesion offered by chitosan makes it an attractive candidate for anti-inflammatory drug delivery, where rapid clearance of the active moiety due to the increased tissue permeability is the major problem. The pH-dependent swelling and drug release properties of chitosan present a means of passive targeting of active drug moieties to inflammatory sites. AREAS COVERED Development of chitosan-based nanoparticulate systems for drug delivery applications is reviewed. The current state of chitosan-based nanosystems; with particular emphasis on drug therapy in inflammatory and infectious diseases is also covered. EXPERT OPINION The authors believe that chitosan-based nanosystems, due to the special and specific advantages, will have a promising role in the management of infectious and inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Rajitha
- a Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre , Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University , Kochi , India
| | - Divya Gopinath
- a Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre , Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University , Kochi , India
| | - Raja Biswas
- b Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre , Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University , Kochi , India
| | - M Sabitha
- a Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre , Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University , Kochi , India
| | - R Jayakumar
- b Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre , Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University , Kochi , India
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Abstract
Since the discovery that certain small viral membrane proteins, collectively termed as viroporins, can permeabilize host cellular membranes and also behave as ion channels, attempts have been made to link this feature to specific biological roles. In parallel, most viroporins identified so far are virulence factors, and interest has focused toward the discovery of channel inhibitors that would have a therapeutic effect, or be used as research tools to understand the biological roles of viroporin ion channel activity. However, this paradigm is being shifted by the difficulties inherent to small viral membrane proteins, and by the realization that protein-protein interactions and other diverse roles in the virus life cycle may represent an equal, if not, more important target. Therefore, although targeting the channel activity of viroporins can probably be therapeutically useful in some cases, the focus may shift to their other functions in following years. Small-molecule inhibitors have been mostly developed against the influenza A M2 (IAV M2 or AM2). This is not surprising since AM2 is the best characterized viroporin to date, with a well-established biological role in viral pathogenesis combined the most extensive structural investigations conducted, and has emerged as a validated drug target. For other viroporins, these studies are still mostly in their infancy, and together with those for AM2, are the subject of the present review.
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Edwards AL, Wachter F, Lammert M, Huhn AJ, Luccarelli J, Bird GH, Walensky LD. Cellular Uptake and Ultrastructural Localization Underlie the Pro-apoptotic Activity of a Hydrocarbon-stapled BIM BH3 Peptide. ACS Chem Biol 2015; 10:2149-57. [PMID: 26151238 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.5b00214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Hydrocarbon stapling has been applied to restore and stabilize the α-helical structure of bioactive peptides for biochemical, structural, cellular, and in vivo studies. The peptide sequence, in addition to the composition and location of the installed staple, can dramatically influence the properties of stapled peptides. As a result, constructs that appear similar can have distinct functions and utilities. Here, we perform a side-by-side comparison of stapled peptides modeled after the pro-apoptotic BIM BH3 helix to highlight these principles. We confirm that replacing a salt-bridge with an i, i + 4 hydrocarbon staple does not impair target binding affinity and instead can yield a biologically and pharmacologically enhanced α-helical peptide ligand. Importantly, we demonstrate by electron microscopy that the pro-apoptotic activity of a stapled BIM BH3 helix correlates with its capacity to achieve cellular uptake without membrane disruption and accumulate at the organellar site of mechanistic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L. Edwards
- Department
of Pediatric Oncology, Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Franziska Wachter
- Department
of Pediatric Oncology, Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Margaret Lammert
- Department
of Pediatric Oncology, Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Annissa J. Huhn
- Department
of Pediatric Oncology, Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - James Luccarelli
- Department
of Pediatric Oncology, Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Gregory H. Bird
- Department
of Pediatric Oncology, Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Loren D. Walensky
- Department
of Pediatric Oncology, Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Division
of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
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Pelay-Gimeno M, Glas A, Koch O, Grossmann TN. Structure-Based Design of Inhibitors of Protein-Protein Interactions: Mimicking Peptide Binding Epitopes. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015; 54:8896-927. [PMID: 26119925 PMCID: PMC4557054 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201412070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 496] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are involved at all levels of cellular organization, thus making the development of PPI inhibitors extremely valuable. The identification of selective inhibitors is challenging because of the shallow and extended nature of PPI interfaces. Inhibitors can be obtained by mimicking peptide binding epitopes in their bioactive conformation. For this purpose, several strategies have been evolved to enable a projection of side chain functionalities in analogy to peptide secondary structures, thereby yielding molecules that are generally referred to as peptidomimetics. Herein, we introduce a new classification of peptidomimetics (classes A-D) that enables a clear assignment of available approaches. Based on this classification, the Review summarizes strategies that have been applied for the structure-based design of PPI inhibitors through stabilizing or mimicking turns, β-sheets, and helices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Pelay-Gimeno
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck SocietyOtto-Hahn-Strasse 15, 44227 Dortmund (Germany) E-mail:
| | - Adrian Glas
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck SocietyOtto-Hahn-Strasse 15, 44227 Dortmund (Germany) E-mail:
| | - Oliver Koch
- TU Dortmund University, Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyOtto-Hahn-Strasse 6, 44227 Dortmund (Germany)
| | - Tom N Grossmann
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck SocietyOtto-Hahn-Strasse 15, 44227 Dortmund (Germany) E-mail:
- TU Dortmund University, Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyOtto-Hahn-Strasse 6, 44227 Dortmund (Germany)
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Pelay-Gimeno M, Glas A, Koch O, Grossmann TN. Strukturbasierte Entwicklung von Protein-Protein-Interaktionsinhibitoren: Stabilisierung und Nachahmung von Peptidliganden. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201412070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Tan YS, Spring DR, Abell C, Verma CS. The Application of Ligand-Mapping Molecular Dynamics Simulations to the Rational Design of Peptidic Modulators of Protein-Protein Interactions. J Chem Theory Comput 2015; 11:3199-210. [PMID: 26575757 DOI: 10.1021/ct5010577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
A computational ligand-mapping approach to detect protein surface pockets that interact with hydrophobic moieties is presented. In this method, we incorporated benzene molecules into explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations of various protein targets. The benzene molecules successfully identified the binding locations of hydrophobic hot-spot residues and all-hydrocarbon cross-links from known peptidic ligands. They also unveiled cryptic binding sites that are occluded by side chains and the protein backbone. Our results demonstrate that ligand-mapping molecular dynamics simulations hold immense promise to guide the rational design of peptidic modulators of protein-protein interactions, including that of stapled peptides, which show promise as an exciting new class of cell-penetrating therapeutic molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaw Sing Tan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.,Bioinformatics Institute (A*STAR) , 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore 138671
| | - David R Spring
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Abell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Chandra S Verma
- Bioinformatics Institute (A*STAR) , 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore 138671.,Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore , 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543.,School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University , 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
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Cromm PM, Spiegel J, Grossmann TN. Hydrocarbon stapled peptides as modulators of biological function. ACS Chem Biol 2015; 10:1362-75. [PMID: 25798993 DOI: 10.1021/cb501020r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Peptide-based drug discovery has experienced a significant upturn within the past decade since the introduction of chemical modifications and unnatural amino acids has allowed for overcoming some of the drawbacks associated with peptide therapeutics. Strengthened by such features, modified peptides become capable of occupying a niche that emerges between the two major classes of today's therapeutics-small molecules (<500 Da) and biologics (>5000 Da). Stabilized α-helices have proven particularly successful at impairing disease-relevant PPIs previously considered "undruggable." Among those, hydrocarbon stapled α-helical peptides have emerged as a novel class of potential peptide therapeutics. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the development and applications of hydrocarbon stapled peptides discussing the benefits and limitations of this technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp M. Cromm
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Str. 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Technical University Dortmund, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Str. 6, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jochen Spiegel
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Str. 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Technical University Dortmund, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Str. 6, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Tom N. Grossmann
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Str. 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Technical University Dortmund, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Str. 6, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Otto-Hahn-Str. 15, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
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Torres J, Surya W, Li Y, Liu DX. Protein-Protein Interactions of Viroporins in Coronaviruses and Paramyxoviruses: New Targets for Antivirals? Viruses 2015; 7:2858-83. [PMID: 26053927 PMCID: PMC4488717 DOI: 10.3390/v7062750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2015] [Revised: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Viroporins are members of a rapidly growing family of channel-forming small polypeptides found in viruses. The present review will be focused on recent structural and protein-protein interaction information involving two viroporins found in enveloped viruses that target the respiratory tract; (i) the envelope protein in coronaviruses and (ii) the small hydrophobic protein in paramyxoviruses. Deletion of these two viroporins leads to viral attenuation in vivo, whereas data from cell culture shows involvement in the regulation of stress and inflammation. The channel activity and structure of some representative members of these viroporins have been recently characterized in some detail. In addition, searches for protein-protein interactions using yeast-two hybrid techniques have shed light on possible functional roles for their exposed cytoplasmic domains. A deeper analysis of these interactions should not only provide a more complete overview of the multiple functions of these viroporins, but also suggest novel strategies that target protein-protein interactions as much needed antivirals. These should complement current efforts to block viroporin channel activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaume Torres
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore.
| | - Wahyu Surya
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore.
| | - Yan Li
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore.
| | - Ding Xiang Liu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore.
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Abstract
Hendra virus and Nipah virus are closely related, recently emerged zoonotic paramyxoviruses, belonging to the Henipavirus genus. Both viruses induce generalized vasculitis affecting particularly the respiratory tract and CNS. The exceptionally broad species tropism of Henipavirus, the high case fatality rate and person-to-person transmission associated with Nipah virus outbreaks emphasize the necessity of effective antiviral strategies for these intriguing threatening pathogens. Current therapeutic approaches, validated in animal models, target early steps in viral infection; they include the use of neutralizing virus-specific antibodies and blocking membrane fusion with peptides that bind the viral fusion protein. A better understanding of Henipavirus pathogenesis is critical for the further advancement of antiviral treatment, and we summarize here the recent progress in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyrille Mathieu
- CIRI, International Center for Infectiology Research, 21 Avenue Tony Garnier, 69365 Lyon Cedex 07, France
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46
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Abstract
Activating mutations in the Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) underlie the pathogenesis and chemoresistance of ∼ 30% of all human tumors, yet the development of high-affinity inhibitors that target the broad range of KRAS mutants remains a formidable challenge. Here, we report the development and validation of stabilized alpha helices of son of sevenless 1 (SAH-SOS1) as prototype therapeutics that directly inhibit wild-type and mutant forms of KRAS. SAH-SOS1 peptides bound in a sequence-specific manner to KRAS and its mutants, and dose-responsively blocked nucleotide association. Importantly, this functional binding activity correlated with SAH-SOS1 cytotoxicity in cancer cells expressing wild-type or mutant forms of KRAS. The mechanism of action of SAH-SOS1 peptides was demonstrated by sequence-specific down-regulation of the ERK-MAP kinase phosphosignaling cascade in KRAS-driven cancer cells and in a Drosophila melanogaster model of Ras85D(V12) activation. These studies provide evidence for the potential utility of SAH-SOS1 peptides in neutralizing oncogenic KRAS in human cancer.
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Identification and characterization of the binding site of the respiratory syncytial virus phosphoprotein to RNA-free nucleoprotein. J Virol 2015; 89:3484-96. [PMID: 25568210 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.03666-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED The RNA genome of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is constitutively encapsidated by the viral nucleoprotein N, thus forming a helical nucleocapsid. Polymerization of N along the genomic and antigenomic RNAs is concomitant to replication and requires the preservation of an unassembled monomeric nucleoprotein pool. To this end, and by analogy with Paramyxoviridae and Rhabdoviridae, it is expected that the viral phosphoprotein P acts as a chaperone protein, forming a soluble complex with the RNA-free form of N (N(0)-P complex). Here, we have engineered a mutant form of N that is monomeric, is unable to bind RNA, still interacts with P, and could thus mimic the N(0) monomer. We used this N mutant, designated N(mono), as a substitute for N(0) in order to characterize the P regions involved in the N(0)-P complex formation. Using a series of P fragments, we determined by glutathione S-transferase (GST) pulldown assays that the N and C termini of P are able to interact with N(mono). We analyzed the functional role of amino-terminal residues of P by site-directed mutagenesis, using an RSV polymerase activity assay based on a human RSV minireplicon, and found that several residues were critical for viral RNA synthesis. Using GST pulldown and surface plasmon resonance assays, we showed that these critical residues are involved in the interaction between P[1-40] peptide and N(mono) in vitro. Finally, we showed that overexpression of the peptide P[1-29] can inhibit the polymerase activity in the context of the RSV minireplicon, thus demonstrating that targeting the N(0)-P interaction could constitute a potential antiviral strategy. IMPORTANCE Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract illness in infants. Since no vaccine or efficient antiviral treatment is available against RSV, it is essential to better understand how the viral machinery functions in order to develop new antiviral strategies. RSV phosphoprotein P, the main RNA polymerase cofactor, is believed to function as a chaperon protein, maintaining N as a nonassembled, RNA-free protein (N(0)) competent for RNA encapsidation. In this paper, we provide the first evidence, to our knowledge, that the N terminus of P contains a domain that binds specifically to this RNA-free form of N. We further show that overexpression of a small peptide spanning this region of P can inhibit viral RNA synthesis. These findings extend our understanding of the function of RSV RNA polymerase and point to a new target for the development of drugs against this virus.
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Chakraborty S, Phu M, de Morais TP, Nascimento R, Goulart LR, Rao BJ, Asgeirsson B, Dandekar AM. The PDB database is a rich source of alpha-helical anti-microbial peptides to combat disease causing pathogens. F1000Res 2014; 3:295. [PMID: 26629331 PMCID: PMC4642847 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.5802.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The therapeutic potential of α-helical anti-microbial peptides (AH-AMP) to combat pathogens is fast gaining prominence. Based on recently published open access software for characterizing α-helical peptides (PAGAL), we elucidate a search methodology (SCALPEL) that leverages the massive structural data pre-existing in the PDB database to obtain AH-AMPs belonging to the host proteome. We provide in vitro validation of SCALPEL on plant pathogens ( Xylella fastidiosa, Xanthomonas arboricola and Liberibacter crescens) by identifying AH-AMPs that mirror the function and properties of cecropin B, a well-studied AH-AMP. The identified peptides include a linear AH-AMP present within the existing structure of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PPC20), and an AH-AMP mimicing the properties of the two α-helices of cecropin B from chitinase (CHITI25). The minimum inhibitory concentration of these peptides are comparable to that of cecropin B, while anionic peptides used as control failed to show any inhibitory effect on these pathogens. Substitute therapies in place of conventional chemotherapies using membrane permeabilizing peptides like these might also prove effective to target cancer cells. The use of native structures from the same organism largely ensures that administration of such peptides will be better tolerated and not elicit an adverse immune response. We suggest a similar approach to target Ebola epitopes, enumerated using PAGAL recently, by selecting suitable peptides from the human proteome, especially in wake of recent reports of cationic amphiphiles inhibiting virus entry and infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Chakraborty
- Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai, 400 005, India
| | - My Phu
- Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Tâmara Prado de Morais
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Uberlandia, Av. Amazonas, Bloco 2E, Campus Umuarama, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil
| | - Rafael Nascimento
- Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlandia, Av. Amazonas, Bloco 2E, Campus Umuarama, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil
| | - Luiz Ricardo Goulart
- Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlandia, Av. Amazonas, Bloco 2E, Campus Umuarama, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil
| | - Basuthkar J. Rao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai, 400 005, India
| | - Bjarni Asgeirsson
- Science Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 3, IS-107 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Abhaya M. Dandekar
- Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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49
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Chakraborty S, Phu M, de Morais TP, Nascimento R, Goulart LR, Rao BJ, Asgeirsson B, Dandekar AM. The PDB database is a rich source of alpha-helical anti-microbial peptides to combat disease causing pathogens. F1000Res 2014; 3:295. [PMID: 26629331 PMCID: PMC4642847 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.5802.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The therapeutic potential of α-helical anti-microbial peptides (AH-AMP) to combat pathogens is fast gaining prominence. Based on recently published open access software for characterizing α-helical peptides (PAGAL), we elucidate a search methodology (SCALPEL) that leverages the massive structural data pre-existing in the PDB database to obtain AH-AMPs belonging to the host proteome. We provide in vitro validation of SCALPEL on plant pathogens ( Xylella fastidiosa, Xanthomonas arboricola and Liberibacter crescens) by identifying AH-AMPs that mirror the function and properties of cecropin B, a well-studied AH-AMP. The identified peptides include a linear AH-AMP present within the existing structure of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PPC20), and an AH-AMP mimicing the properties of the two α-helices of cecropin B from chitinase (CHITI25). The minimum inhibitory concentration of these peptides are comparable to that of cecropin B, while anionic peptides used as control failed to show any inhibitory effect on these pathogens. Substitute therapies in place of conventional chemotherapies using membrane permeabilizing peptides like these might also prove effective to target cancer cells. The use of native structures from the same organism could possibly ensure that administration of such peptides will be better tolerated and not elicit an adverse immune response. We suggest a similar approach to target Ebola epitopes, enumerated using PAGAL recently, by selecting suitable peptides from the human proteome, especially in wake of recent reports of cationic amphiphiles inhibiting virus entry and infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Chakraborty
- Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai, 400 005, India
| | - My Phu
- Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Tâmara Prado de Morais
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Uberlandia, Av. Amazonas, Bloco 2E, Campus Umuarama, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil
| | - Rafael Nascimento
- Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlandia, Av. Amazonas, Bloco 2E, Campus Umuarama, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil
| | - Luiz Ricardo Goulart
- Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlandia, Av. Amazonas, Bloco 2E, Campus Umuarama, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil
| | - Basuthkar J. Rao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai, 400 005, India
| | - Bjarni Asgeirsson
- Science Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 3, IS-107 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Abhaya M. Dandekar
- Plant Sciences Department, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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Prevention of measles virus infection by intranasal delivery of fusion inhibitor peptides. J Virol 2014; 89:1143-55. [PMID: 25378493 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02417-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Measles virus (MV) infection is undergoing resurgence and remains one of the leading causes of death among young children worldwide despite the availability of an effective measles vaccine. MV infects its target cells by coordinated action of the MV H and the fusion (F) envelope glycoprotein; upon receptor engagement by H, the prefusion F undergoes a structural transition, extending and inserting into the target cell membrane and then refolding into a postfusion structure that fuses the viral and cell membranes. By interfering with this structural transition of F, peptides derived from the heptad-repeat (HR) regions of F can potently inhibit MV infection at the entry stage. We show here that specific features of H's interaction with its receptors modulate the susceptibility of MV F to peptide fusion inhibitors. A higher concentration of inhibitory peptides is required to inhibit F-mediated fusion when H is engaged to its nectin-4 receptor than when H is engaged to its CD150 receptor. Peptide inhibition of F may be subverted by continued engagement of receptor by H, a finding that highlights the ongoing role of H-receptor interaction after F has been activated and that helps guide the design of more potent inhibitory peptides. Intranasal administration of these peptides results in peptide accumulation in the airway epithelium with minimal systemic levels of peptide and efficiently prevents MV infection in vivo in animal models. The results suggest an antiviral strategy for prophylaxis in vulnerable and/or immunocompromised hosts. IMPORTANCE Measles virus (MV) infection causes an acute illness that may be associated with infection of the central nervous system (CNS) and severe neurological disease. No specific treatment is available. We have shown that parenterally delivered fusion-inhibitory peptides protect mice from lethal CNS MV disease. Here we show, using established small-animal models of MV infection, that fusion-inhibitory peptides delivered intranasally provide effective prophylaxis against MV infection. Since the fusion inhibitors are stable at room temperature, this intranasal strategy is feasible even outside health care settings, could be used to protect individuals and communities in case of MV outbreaks, and could complement global efforts to control measles.
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