Constrained α-Helical Peptides as Inhibitors of Protein-Protein and Protein-DNA Interactions

PET Imaging of Solid Tumors with a G-Quadruplex-Targeting 18F-Labeled Peptide Probe

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a common imaging technique and can provide accurate information about the size, shape, and location of tumors. Recent evidence has shown that G-quadruplex structures (G4s) are identified in human oncogenes, and these special structures are recognized as diagnostic cancer markers and drug targets for anticancer therapies. Although a number of techniques for in vivo imaging of G4s have been developed, achieving sufficient sensitivity and selectivity in vivo remains challenging. Herein, we have engineered and developed a radiolabeled peptide probe [18F]AlF-NOTA-RHAU18 targeting mitochondrial DNA G4s for in vivo PET imaging. The results of the study indicate that this probe is able to visualize and detect solid tumors in living homozygous mice. In addition, the distribution of the probe in cancer cells was investigated using FITC-RHAU18. This work may offer new insights into the development of cancer diagnostic tools by targeting in vivo G4s.

Selection of Nucleotide-Encoded Mass Libraries of Macrocyclic Peptides for Inaccessible Drug Targets

Technological advances and breakthrough developments in the pharmaceutical field are knocking at the door of the "undruggable" fortress with increasing insistence. Notably, the 21st century has seen the emergence of macrocyclic compounds, among which cyclic peptides are of particular interest. This new class of potential drug candidates occupies the vast chemical space between classic small-molecule drugs and larger protein-based therapeutics, such as antibodies. As research advances toward clinical targets that have long been considered inaccessible, macrocyclic peptides are well-suited to tackle these challenges in a post-rule of 5 pharmaceutical landscape. Facilitating their discovery is an arsenal of high-throughput screening methods that exploit massive randomized libraries of genetically encoded compounds. These techniques benefit from the incorporation of non-natural moieties, such as non- proteinogenic amino acids or stabilizing hydrocarbon staples. Exploiting these features for the strategic architectural design of macrocyclic peptides has the potential to tackle challenging targets such as protein-protein interactions, which have long resisted research efforts. This Review summarizes the basic principles and recent developments of the main high-throughput techniques for the discovery of macrocyclic peptides and focuses on their specific deployment for targeting undruggable space. A particular focus is placed on the development of new design guidelines and principles for the cyclization and structural stabilization of cyclic peptides and the resulting success stories achieved against well-known inaccessible drug targets.

Bioinformatics design of peptide binding to the human cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in biosensor development for myocardial infarction diagnosis

Cardiovascular disease has reached a mortality rate of 470,000 patients each year. Myocardial infarction accounts for 49.2% of these deaths, and the cTnI protein is a crucial target in diagnosing myocardial infarction. A peptide-based bioreceptor design using a computational approach is a good candidate to be developed for a rapid, effective, and selective detection method for cTnI although it is still lacking in study. Hence, to address the scientific gap, we develop a new candidate peptide for the cTnI biosensor by bioinformatics method and present new computational approaches. The sequential point mutations were made to the selected peptide to increase its stability and affinity for cTnI. Next, molecular docking was performed to select the mutated peptide, and one of the best results was subjected to the molecular dynamics simulation. Finally, the results showed that the best peptide showed the lowest affinity and good stability among other mutated peptide designs for interacting with the cTnI protein. In addition, the peptide has been tested to have a higher specificity towards cTnI than its major isomer, sTnI, through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. Therefore, the peptide is considered a good potential bioreceptor for diagnosing myocardial infarction diseases.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Lysine-Stapled Peptide Inhibitors of p53-MDM2/MDMX Interactions with Potent Antitumor Activity In Vivo

We introduce novel lysine-stapled peptide inhibitors targeting p53-MDM2/MDMX interactions. Leveraging the model peptides pDI (LTFEHYWAQLTS) and PMI-M3 (LTFLEYWAQLMQ) as starting points, a series of lysine-stapled analogues were designed and synthesized. Through in vitro cell assay screening, two lead compounds, SPDI-48-T1 and SPMI-48-T3, were identified for their excellent antiproliferation activity. Fluorescence polarization assays revealed that both compounds exhibited strong binding affinities against MDM2 and MDMX, ascertained by Kd values within the low micromolar spectrum. Further characterization of SPDI-48-T1 and SPMI-48-T3 demonstrated that SPDI-48-T1 possessed superior cell permeability and serum stability. Notably, SPDI-48-T1 displayed a dose-dependent suppression of tumor growth in an HCT116 xenograft mouse model. Our findings indicate that SPDI-48-T1 holds promise as a lead compound for further development as an anticancer agent by modulating p53-MDM2/MDMX interactions. Additionally, this study also proved that the lysine stapling strategy may serve as a robust approach for generating peptide ligands targeting other protein-protein interactions.

A nature-inspired HIF stabilizer derived from a highland-adaptation insertion of plateau pika Epas1 protein

Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) play pivotal roles in numerous diseases and high-altitude adaptation, and HIF stabilizers have emerged as valuable therapeutic tools. In our prior investigation, we identified a highland-adaptation 24-amino-acid insertion within the Epas1 protein. This insertion enhances the protein stability of Epas1, and mice engineered with this insertion display enhanced resilience to hypoxic conditions. In the current study, we delved into the biochemical mechanisms underlying the protein-stabilizing effects of this insertion. Our findings unveiled that the last 11 amino acids within this insertion adopt a helical conformation and interact with the α-domain of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein (pVHL), thereby disrupting the Eloc-pVHL interaction and impeding the ubiquitination of Epas1. Utilizing a synthesized peptide, E14-24, we demonstrated its favorable membrane permeability and ability to stabilize endogenous HIF-α proteins, inducing the expression of hypoxia-responsive element (HRE) genes. Furthermore, the administration of E14-24 to mice subjected to hypoxic conditions mitigated body weight loss, suggesting its potential to enhance hypoxia adaptation.

Why to target G-quadruplexes using peptides: Next-generation G4-interacting ligands

Guanine-rich oligonucleotides existing in both DNA and RNA are able to fold into four-stranded DNA secondary structures via Hoogsteen type hydrogen-bonding, where four guanines self-assemble into a square planar arrangement, which, when stacked upon each other, results in the formation of higher-order structures called G-quadruplexes. Their distribution is not random; they are more frequently present at telomeres, proto-oncogenic promoters, introns, 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions, stem cell markers, ribosome binding sites and so forth and are associated with various biological functions, all of which play a pivotal role in various incurable diseases like cancer and cellular ageing. Several studies have suggested that G-quadruplexes could not regulate biological processes by themselves; instead, various proteins take part in this regulation and can be important therapeutic targets. There are certain limitations in using whole G4-protein for therapeutics purpose because of its high manufacturing cost, laborious structure prediction, dynamic nature, unavailability for oral administration due to its degradation in the gut and inefficient penetration to reach the target site because of the large size. Hence, biologically active peptides can be the potential candidates for therapeutic intervention instead of the whole G4-protein complex. In this review, we aimed to clarify the biological roles of G4s, how we can identify them throughout the genome via bioinformatics, the proteins interacting with G4s and how G4-interacting peptide molecules may be the potential next-generation ligands for targeting the G4 motifs located in biologically important regions.

NLRP6 potentiates PI3K/AKT signalling by promoting autophagic degradation of p85α to drive tumorigenesis

The PI3K/AKT pathway plays an essential role in tumour development. NOD-like receptors (NLRs) regulate innate immunity and are implicated in cancer, but whether they are involved in PI3K/AKT pathway regulation is poorly understood. Here, we report that NLRP6 potentiates the PI3K/AKT pathway by binding and destabilizing p85α, the regulatory subunit of PI3K. Mechanistically, NLRP6 recruits the E3 ligase RBX1 to p85α and ubiquitinates lysine 256 on p85α, which is recognized by the autophagy cargo receptor OPTN, causing selective autophagic degradation of p85α and subsequent activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway by reducing PTEN stability. We further show that loss of NLRP6 suppresses cell proliferation, colony formation, cell migration, and tumour growth in glioblastoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Disruption of the NLRP6/p85α interaction using the Pep9 peptide inhibits the PI3K/AKT pathway and generates potent antitumour effects. Collectively, our results suggest that NLRP6 promotes p85α degradation via selective autophagy to drive tumorigenesis, and the interaction between NLRP6 and p85α can be a promising therapeutic target for tumour treatment.

Characterization and Classification In Silico of Peptides with Dual Activity (Antimicrobial and Wound Healing)

The growing challenge of chronic wounds and antibiotic resistance has spotlighted the potential of dual-function peptides (antimicrobial and wound healing) as novel therapeutic strategies. The investigation aimed to characterize and correlate in silico the physicochemical attributes of these peptides with their biological activity. We sourced a dataset of 207 such peptides from various peptide databases, followed by a detailed analysis of their physicochemical properties using bioinformatic tools. Utilizing statistical tools like clustering, correlation, and principal component analysis (PCA), patterns and relationships were discerned among these properties. Furthermore, we analyzed the peptides' functional domains for insights into their potential mechanisms of action. Our findings spotlight peptides in Cluster 2 as efficacious in wound healing, whereas Cluster 1 peptides exhibited pronounced antimicrobial potential. In our study, we identified specific amino acid patterns and peptide families associated with their biological activities, such as the cecropin antimicrobial domain. Additionally, we found the presence of polar amino acids like arginine, cysteine, and lysine, as well as apolar amino acids like glycine, isoleucine, and leucine. These characteristics are crucial for interactions with bacterial membranes and receptors involved in migration, proliferation, angiogenesis, and immunomodulation. While this study provides a groundwork for therapeutic development, translating these findings into practical applications necessitates additional experimental and clinical research.

Molecular Peptide Grafting as a Tool to Create Novel Protein Therapeutics

The study of peptides (synthetic or corresponding to discrete regions of proteins) has facilitated the understanding of protein structure-activity relationships. Short peptides can also be used as powerful therapeutic agents. However, the functional activity of many short peptides is usually substantially lower than that of their parental proteins. This is (as a rule) due to their diminished structural organization, stability, and solubility often leading to an enhanced propensity for aggregation. Several approaches have emerged to overcome these limitations, which are aimed at imposing structural constraints into the backbone and/or sidechains of the therapeutic peptides (such as molecular stapling, peptide backbone circularization and molecular grafting), therefore enforcing their biologically active conformation and thus improving their solubility, stability, and functional activity. This review provides a short summary of approaches aimed at enhancing the biological activity of short functional peptides with a particular focus on the peptide grafting approach, whereby a functional peptide is inserted into a scaffold molecule. Intra-backbone insertions of short therapeutic peptides into scaffold proteins have been shown to enhance their activity and render them a more stable and biologically active conformation.

Improvement of native structure-based peptides as efficient inhibitors of protein-protein interactions of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and human ACE2

New pathogens responsible for novel human disease outbreaks in the last two decades are mainly the respiratory system viruses. Not different was the last pandemic episode, caused by infection of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). One of the extensively explored targets, in the recent scientific literature, as a possible way for rapid development of COVID-19 specific drug(s) is the interaction between the receptor-binding domain of the virus’ spike (S) glycoprotein and human receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2). This protein-protein recognition process is involved in the early stages of the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle leading to the host cell membrane penetration. Thus, disrupting this interaction may block or significantly reduce the infection caused by the novel pathogen. Previously we have designed (by in silico structure-based analysis) three very short peptides having sequences inspirited by hACE2 native fragments, which effectively bind to the SARS-CoV-2 S protein and block its interaction with the human receptor. In continuation of the above mentioned studies, here we presented an application of molecular modeling approach resulting in improved binding affinity of the previously proposed ligand and its enhanced ability to inhibit meaningful host-virus protein-protein interaction. The new optimized hexapeptide binds to the virus protein with affinity one magnitude higher than the initial ligand and, as a very short peptide, has also great potential for further drug development. The peptide-based strategy is rapid and cost-effective for developing and optimizing efficient protein-protein interactions disruptors and may be successfully applied to discover antiviral candidates against other future emerging human viral infections.

Regulation of cardiac ion channels by transcription factors: Looking for new opportunities of druggable targets for the treatment of arrhythmias

Cardiac electrical activity is governed by different ion channels that generate action potentials. Acquired or inherited abnormalities in the expression and/or function of ion channels usually result in electrophysiological changes that can cause cardiac arrhythmias. Transcription factors (TFs) control gene transcription by binding to specific DNA sequences adjacent to target genes. Linkage analysis, candidate-gene screening within families, and genome-wide association studies have linked rare and common genetic variants in the genes encoding TFs with genetically-determined cardiac arrhythmias. Besides its critical role in cardiac development, recent data demonstrated that they control cardiac electrical activity through the direct regulation of the expression and function of cardiac ion channels in adult hearts. This narrative review summarizes some studies showing functional data on regulation of the main human atrial and ventricular Na⁺, Ca²⁺, and K⁺ channels by cardiac TFs such as Pitx2c, Tbx20, Tbx5, Zfhx3, among others. The results have improved our understanding of the mechanisms regulating cardiac electrical activity and may open new avenues for therapeutic interventions in cardiac acquired or inherited arrhythmias through the identification of TFs as potential drug targets. Even though TFs have for a long time been considered as 'undruggable' targets, advances in structural biology have led to the identification of unique pockets in TFs amenable to be targeted with small-molecule drugs or peptides that are emerging as novel therapeutic drugs.

Making Sense of "Nonsense" and More: Challenges and Opportunities in the Genetic Code Expansion, in the World of tRNA Modifications

The evolutional development of the RNA translation process that leads to protein synthesis based on naturally occurring amino acids has its continuation via synthetic biology, the so-called rational bioengineering. Genetic code expansion (GCE) explores beyond the natural translational processes to further enhance the structural properties and augment the functionality of a wide range of proteins. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic ribosomal machinery have been proven to accept engineered tRNAs from orthogonal organisms to efficiently incorporate noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) with rationally designed side chains. These side chains can be reactive or functional groups, which can be extensively utilized in biochemical, biophysical, and cellular studies. Genetic code extension offers the contingency of introducing more than one ncAA into protein through frameshift suppression, multi-site-specific incorporation of ncAAs, thereby increasing the vast number of possible applications. However, different mediating factors reduce the yield and efficiency of ncAA incorporation into synthetic proteins. In this review, we comment on the recent advancements in genetic code expansion to signify the relevance of systems biology in improving ncAA incorporation efficiency. We discuss the emerging impact of tRNA modifications and metabolism in protein design. We also provide examples of the latest successful accomplishments in synthetic protein therapeutics and show how codon expansion has been employed in various scientific and biotechnological applications.

Native Structure-Based Peptides as Potential Protein-Protein Interaction Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and Human ACE2 Receptor

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a positive-strand RNA virus that causes severe respiratory syndrome in humans, which is now referred to as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Since December 2019, the new pathogen has rapidly spread globally, with over 65 million cases reported to the beginning of December 2020, including over 1.5 million deaths. Unfortunately, currently, there is no specific and effective treatment for COVID-19. As SARS-CoV-2 relies on its spike proteins (S) to bind to a host cell-surface receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme-2(ACE2), and this interaction is proved to be responsible for entering a virus into host cells, it makes an ideal target for antiviral drug development. In this work, we design three very short peptides based on the ACE2 sequence/structure fragments, which may effectively bind to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of S protein and may, in turn, disrupt the important virus-host protein-protein interactions, blocking early steps of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Two of our peptides bind to virus protein with affinity in nanomolar range, and as very short peptides have great potential for drug development.

A novel peptide antagonist of the human growth hormone receptor

Excess circulating human growth hormone (hGH) in vivo is linked to metabolic and growth disorders such as cancer, diabetes, and acromegaly. Consequently, there is considerable interest in developing antagonists of hGH action. Here, we present the design, synthesis, and characterization of a 16-residue peptide (site 1-binding helix [S1H]) that inhibits hGH-mediated STAT5 phosphorylation in cultured cells. S1H was designed as a direct sequence mimetic of the site 1 mini-helix (residues 36-51) of wild-type hGH and acts by inhibiting the interaction of hGH with the human growth hormone receptor (hGHR). In vitro studies indicated that S1H is stable in human serum and can adopt an α-helix in solution. Our results also show that S1H mitigates phosphorylation of STAT5 in cells co-treated with hGH, reducing intracellular STAT5 phosphorylation levels to those observed in untreated controls. Furthermore, S1H was found to attenuate the activity of the hGHR and the human prolactin receptor, suggesting that this peptide acts as an antagonist of both lactogenic and somatotrophic hGH actions. Finally, we used alanine scanning to determine how discrete amino acids within the S1H sequence contribute to its structural organization and biological activity. We observed a strong correlation between helical propensity and inhibitory effect, indicating that S1H-mediated antagonism of the hGHR is largely dependent on the ability for S1H to adopt an α-helix. Taken together, these results show that S1H not only acts as a novel peptide-based antagonist of the hGHR but can also be applied as a chemical tool to study the molecular nature of hGH-hGHR interactions.

Targeting the bacterial SOS response for new antimicrobial agents: drug targets, molecular mechanisms and inhibitors

Antimicrobial resistance is a pressing threat to global health, with multidrug-resistant pathogens becoming increasingly prevalent. The bacterial SOS pathway functions in response to DNA damage that occurs during infection, initiating several pro-survival and resistance mechanisms, such as DNA repair and hypermutation. This makes SOS pathway components potential targets that may combat drug-resistant pathogens and decrease resistance emergence. This review discusses the mechanism of the SOS pathway; the structure and function of potential targets AddAB, RecBCD, RecA and LexA; and efforts to develop selective small-molecule inhibitors of these proteins. These inhibitors may serve as valuable tools for target validation and provide the foundations for desperately needed novel antibacterial therapeutics.

Photo-induced radical thiol-ene chemistry: a versatile toolbox for peptide-based drug design

While the global market for peptide/protein-based therapeutics is witnessing significant growth, the development of peptide drugs remains challenging due to their low oral bioavailability, poor membrane permeability, and reduced metabolic stability. However, a toolbox of chemical approaches has been explored for peptide modification to overcome these obstacles. In recent years, there has been a revival of interest in photoinduced radical thiol-ene chemistry as a powerful tool for the construction of therapeutic peptides.

Incorporation of nonstandard amino acids into proteins: principles and applications

The cellular ribosome shows a naturally evolved strong preference for the synthesis of proteins with standard amino acids. An in-depth understanding of the translation process enables scientists to go beyond this natural limitation and engineer translating systems capable of synthesizing proteins with artificially designed and synthesized non-standard amino acids (nsAA) featuring more bulky sidechains. The sidechains can be functional groups, with chosen biophysical or chemical activities, that enable the direct application of these proteins. Alternatively, the sidechains can be designed to contain highly reactive groups: enabling the ready formation of conjugates via a covalent bond between the sidechain and other chemicals or biomolecules. This co-translational incorporation of nsAAs into proteins allows for a vast number of possible applications. In this paper, we first systematically summarized the advances in the engineering of the translation system. Subsequently, we reviewed the extensive applications of these nsAA-containing proteins (after chemical modification) by discussing representative reports on how they can be utilized for different purposes. Finally, we discussed the direction of further studies which could be undertaken to improve the current technology utilized in incorporating nsAAs in order to use them to their full potential and improve accessibility across disciplines.

How strong are hydrogen bonds in the peptide model?

We provide a methodology based on the steered molecular dynamics simulations and dynamic force spectroscopy calculations to determine the kinetic and energetic characteristics of hydrogen bonds.