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Sun X, Hu J, Ren M, Chang H, Zhangsun D, Zhang B, Dong S. Stapling Cysteine[2,4] Disulfide Bond of α-Conotoxin LsIA and Its Potential in Target Delivery. Mar Drugs 2024; 22:314. [PMID: 39057423 PMCID: PMC11278161 DOI: 10.3390/md22070314] [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: 06/15/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
α-Conotoxins, as selective nAChR antagonists, can be valuable tools for targeted drug delivery and fluorescent labeling, while conotoxin-drug or conotoxin-fluorescent conjugates through the disulfide bond are rarely reported. Herein, we demonstrate the [2,4] disulfide bond of α-conotoxin as a feasible new chemical modification site. In this study, analogs of the α-conotoxin LsIA cysteine[2,4] were synthesized by stapling with five linkers, and their inhibitory activities against human α7 and rat α3β2 nAChRs were maintained. To further apply this method in targeted delivery, the alkynylbenzyl bromide linker was synthesized and conjugated with Coumarin 120 (AMC) and Camptothecin (CPT) by copper-catalyzed click chemistry, and then stapled between cysteine[2,4] of the LsIA to construct a fluorescent probe and two peptide-drug conjugates. The maximum emission wavelength of the LsIA fluorescent probe was 402.2 nm, which was essentially unchanged compared with AMC. The cytotoxic activity of the LsIA peptide-drug conjugates on human A549 was maintained in vitro. The results demonstrate that the stapling of cysteine[2,4] with alkynylbenzyl bromide is a simple and feasible strategy for the exploitation and utilization of the α-conotoxin LsIA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.S.); (J.H.); (M.R.); (D.Z.)
| | - Jiangnan Hu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.S.); (J.H.); (M.R.); (D.Z.)
| | - Maomao Ren
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.S.); (J.H.); (M.R.); (D.Z.)
| | - Hong Chang
- Hainan Academy of Inspection and Testing, Haikou 570228, China;
| | - Dongting Zhangsun
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.S.); (J.H.); (M.R.); (D.Z.)
| | - Baojian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.S.); (J.H.); (M.R.); (D.Z.)
| | - Shuai Dong
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.S.); (J.H.); (M.R.); (D.Z.)
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Liu T, Zhang J, Lu B, Wang H, Zhan J, Tan X, Wu C, Liu S, Wang Z, Zhang J, Zhang J. Highly efficient conotoxin delivery enabled by a bio-derived ionic liquid. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.120529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Wang S, Bartels P, Zhao C, Yousuf A, Liu Z, Yu S, Bony AR, Ma X, Dai Q, Sun T, Liu N, Yang M, Yu R, Du W, Adams DJ, Dai Q. A 4/8 Subtype α-Conotoxin Vt1.27 Inhibits N-Type Calcium Channels With Potent Anti-Allodynic Effect. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:881732. [PMID: 35754473 PMCID: PMC9230573 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.881732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel 4/8 subtype α-conotoxin, Vt1.27 (NCCMFHTCPIDYSRFNC-NH2), was identified from Conus vitulinus in the South China Sea by RACE methods. The peptide was synthesized and structurally characterized. Similar to other α-conotoxins that target neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes, Vt1.27 inhibited the rat α3β2 nAChR subtype (IC50 = 1160 nM) and was inactive at voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels in rat sensory neurons. However, Vt1.27 inhibited high voltage-activated N-type (CaV2.2) calcium channels expressed in HEK293T cells with an IC50 of 398 nM. An alanine scan of the peptide showed that residues Phe5, Pro9, Ile10, and Ser13 contribute significantly to the inhibitory activity of Vt1.27. The molecular dockings indicate that Vt1.27 inhibits the transmembrane region of CaV2.2, which is different from that of ω-conotoxins. Furthermore, Vt1.27 exhibited potent anti-allodynic effect in rat partial sciatic nerve injury (PNL) and chronic constriction injury (CCI) pain models at 10 nmol/kg level with the intramuscular injection. The pain threshold elevation of Vt1.27 groups was higher than that of α-conotoxin Vc1.1 in CCI rat models. These findings expand our knowledge of targets of α-conotoxins and potentially provide a potent, anti-allodynic peptide for the treatment of neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Wang
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
- Department of Pharmacy, PLA Rocket Force Characteristic Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Peter Bartels
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Cong Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Arsalan Yousuf
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Zhuguo Liu
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Shuo Yu
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Anuja R. Bony
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Xiaoli Ma
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Qin Dai
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Sun
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Na Liu
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Mengke Yang
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Rilei Yu
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Weihong Du
- Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Qiuyun Dai, ; David J. Adams, ; Weihong Du,
| | - David J. Adams
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Qiuyun Dai, ; David J. Adams, ; Weihong Du,
| | - Qiuyun Dai
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Qiuyun Dai, ; David J. Adams, ; Weihong Du,
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Abstract
Covering: 2020This review covers the literature published in 2020 for marine natural products (MNPs), with 757 citations (747 for the period January to December 2020) referring to compounds isolated from marine microorganisms and phytoplankton, green, brown and red algae, sponges, cnidarians, bryozoans, molluscs, tunicates, echinoderms, mangroves and other intertidal plants and microorganisms. The emphasis is on new compounds (1407 in 420 papers for 2020), together with the relevant biological activities, source organisms and country of origin. Pertinent reviews, biosynthetic studies, first syntheses, and syntheses that led to the revision of structures or stereochemistries, have been included. A meta analysis of bioactivity data relating to new MNPs reported over the last five years is also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony R Carroll
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia. .,Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Brent R Copp
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Rohan A Davis
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.,School of Enivironment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Robert A Keyzers
- Centre for Biodiscovery, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
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Preparation and Functional Identification of a Novel Conotoxin QcMNCL-XIII0.1 from Conus quercinus. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14020099. [PMID: 35202127 PMCID: PMC8877388 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14020099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Conotoxins are tools used by marine Conus snails to hunt and are a significant repository for marine drug research. Conotoxins highly selectively coordinate different subtypes of various ion channels, and a few have been used in pain management. Although more than 8000 conotoxin genes have been found, the biological activity and function of most have not yet been examined. In this report, we selected the toxin gene QcMNCL-XIII0.1 from our previous investigation and studied it in vitro. First, we successfully prepared active recombinant QcMNCL-XIII0.1 using a TrxA (Thioredoxin A)-assisted folding expression vector based on genetic engineering technology. Animal experiments showed that the recombinant QcMNCL-XIII0.1 exhibited nerve conduction inhibition similar to that of pethidine hydrochloride. With flow cytometry combined fluorescent probe Fluo-4 AM, we found that 10 ng/μL recombinant QcMNCL-XIII0.1 inhibited the fluorescence intensity by 31.07% in the 293T cell model transfected with Cav3.1, implying an interaction between α1G T-type calcium channel protein and recombinant QcMNCL-XIII0.1. This toxin could be an important drug in biomedical research and medicine for pain control.
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Marine Origin Ligands of Nicotinic Receptors: Low Molecular Compounds, Peptides and Proteins for Fundamental Research and Practical Applications. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12020189. [PMID: 35204690 PMCID: PMC8961598 DOI: 10.3390/biom12020189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The purpose of our review is to briefly show what different compounds of marine origin, from low molecular weight ones to peptides and proteins, offer for understanding the structure and mechanism of action of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and for finding novel drugs to combat the diseases where nAChRs may be involved. The importance of the mentioned classes of ligands has changed with time; a protein from the marine snake venom was the first excellent tool to characterize the muscle-type nAChRs from the electric ray, while at present, muscle and α7 receptors are labeled with the radioactive or fluorescent derivatives prepared from α-bungarotoxin isolated from the many-banded krait. The most sophisticated instruments to distinguish muscle from neuronal nAChRs, and especially distinct subtypes within the latter, are α-conotoxins. Such information is crucial for fundamental studies on the nAChR revealing the properties of their orthosteric and allosteric binding sites and mechanisms of the channel opening and closure. Similar data are provided by low-molecular weight compounds of marine origin, but here the main purpose is drug design. In our review we tried to show what has been obtained in the last decade when the listed classes of compounds were used in the nAChR research, applying computer modeling, synthetic analogues and receptor mutants, X-ray and electron-microscopy analyses of complexes with the nAChRs, and their models which are acetylcholine-binding proteins and heterologously-expressed ligand-binding domains.
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Tae HS, Gao B, Jin AH, Alewood PF, Adams DJ. Globular and ribbon isomers of Conus geographus α-conotoxins antagonize human nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 190:114638. [PMID: 34062129 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The short disulfide-rich α-conotoxins derived from the venom of Conus snails comprise a conserved CICII(m)CIII(n)CIV cysteine framework (m and n, number of amino acids) and the majority antagonize nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Depending on disulfide connectivity, α-conotoxins can exist as either globular (CI-CIII, CII-CIV), ribbon (CI-CIV, CII-CIII) or bead (CI-CII, CIII-CIV) isomers. In the present study, C. geographus α-conotoxins GI, GIB, G1.5 and G1.9 were chemically synthesized as globular and ribbon isomers and their activity investigated at human nAChRs expressed in Xenopus oocytes using the two-electrode voltage clamp recording technique. Both the globular and ribbon isomers of the 3/5 (m/n) α-conotoxins GI and GIB selectively inhibit heterologous human muscle-type α1β1δε nAChRs, whereas G1.5, a 4/7 α-conotoxin, selectively antagonizes neuronal (non-muscle) nAChR subtypes particularly human α3β2, α7 and α9α10 nAChRs. In contrast, globular and ribbon isomers of G1.9, a novel C-terminal elongated 4/8 α-conotoxin exhibited no activity at the human nAChR subtypes studied. This study reinforces earlier observations that 3/5 α-conotoxins selectively target the muscle nAChR subtypes, although interestingly, GIB is also active at α7 and α9 α10 nAChRs. The 4/7 α-conotoxins target human neuronal nAChR subtypes whereas the pharmacology of the 4/8 α-conotoxin remains unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Shen Tae
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
| | - Bingmiao Gao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, Hainan Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Tropical Herbs, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Ai-Hua Jin
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Paul F Alewood
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - David J Adams
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
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Animal Venoms-Curse or Cure? Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9040413. [PMID: 33921205 PMCID: PMC8068803 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9040413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
An estimated 15% of animals are venomous, with representatives spread across the majority of animal lineages. Animals use venoms for various purposes, such as prey capture and predator deterrence. Humans have always been fascinated by venomous animals in a Janus-faced way. On the one hand, humans have a deeply rooted fear of venomous animals. This is boosted by their largely negative image in public media and the fact that snakes alone cause an annual global death toll in the hundreds of thousands, with even more people being left disabled or disfigured. Consequently, snake envenomation has recently been reclassified by the World Health Organization as a neglected tropical disease. On the other hand, there has been a growth in recent decades in the global scene of enthusiasts keeping venomous snakes, spiders, scorpions, and centipedes in captivity as pets. Recent scientific research has focussed on utilising animal venoms and toxins for the benefit of humanity in the form of molecular research tools, novel diagnostics and therapeutics, biopesticides, or anti-parasitic treatments. Continued research into developing efficient and safe antivenoms and promising discoveries of beneficial effects of animal toxins is further tipping the scales in favour of the “cure” rather than the “curse” prospect of venoms.
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Synthesis, Structural and Pharmacological Characterizations of CIC, a Novel α-Conotoxin with an Extended N-Terminal Tail. Mar Drugs 2021; 19:md19030141. [PMID: 33801301 PMCID: PMC8001506 DOI: 10.3390/md19030141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Cone snails are venomous marine predators that rely on fast-acting venom to subdue their prey and defend against aggressors. The conotoxins produced in the venom gland are small disulfide-rich peptides with high affinity and selectivity for their pharmacological targets. A dominant group comprises α-conotoxins, targeting nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Here, we report on the synthesis, structure determination and biological activity of a novel α-conotoxin, CIC, found in the predatory venom of the piscivorous species Conus catus and its truncated mutant Δ-CIC. CIC is a 4/7 α-conotoxin with an unusual extended N-terminal tail. High-resolution NMR spectroscopy shows a major influence of the N-terminal tail on the apparent rigidity of the three-dimensional structure of CIC compared to the more flexible Δ-CIC. Surprisingly, this effect on the structure does not alter the biological activity, since both peptides selectively inhibit α3β2 and α6/α3β2β3 nAChRs with almost identical sub- to low micromolar inhibition constants. Our results suggest that the N-terminal part of α-conotoxins can accommodate chemical modifications without affecting their pharmacology.
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