1
|
Yang J, Tong C, Qi J, Liao X, Li X, Zhang X, Zhou M, Wang L, Ma C, Xi X, Chen T, Gao Y, Wu D. Engineering and Structural Insights of a Novel BBI-like Protease Inhibitor Livisin from the Frog Skin Secretion. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14040273. [PMID: 35448882 PMCID: PMC9030697 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14040273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The Bowman–Birk protease inhibitor (BBI) family is a prototype group found mainly in plants, particularly grasses and legumes, which have been subjected to decades of study. Recently, the discovery of attenuated peptides containing the canonical Bowman–Birk protease inhibitory motif has been detected in the skin secretions of amphibians, mainly from Ranidae family members. The roles of these peptides in amphibian defense have been proposed to work cooperatively with antimicrobial peptides and reduce peptide degradation. A novel trypsin inhibitory peptide, named livisin, was found in the skin secretion of the green cascade frog, Odorrana livida. The cDNA encoding the precursor of livisin was cloned, and the predicted mature peptide was characterized. The mature peptide was found to act as a potent inhibitor against several serine proteases. A comparative activity study among the native peptide and its engineered analogs was performed, and the influence of the P1 and P2′ positions, as well as the C-terminal amidation on the structure–activity relationship for livisin, was illustrated. The findings demonstrated that livisin might serve as a potential drug discovery/development tool.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yang
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325015, China; (J.Y.); (C.T.); (X.L.)
| | - Chengliang Tong
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325015, China; (J.Y.); (C.T.); (X.L.)
| | - Junmei Qi
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China; (J.Q.); (X.L.); (X.Z.)
| | - Xiaoying Liao
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325015, China; (J.Y.); (C.T.); (X.L.)
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China; (J.Q.); (X.L.); (X.Z.)
| | - Xiaokun Li
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China; (J.Q.); (X.L.); (X.Z.)
| | - Xu Zhang
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China; (J.Q.); (X.L.); (X.Z.)
| | - Mei Zhou
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK; (M.Z.); (L.W.); (C.M.); (X.X.); (T.C.)
| | - Lei Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK; (M.Z.); (L.W.); (C.M.); (X.X.); (T.C.)
| | - Chengbang Ma
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK; (M.Z.); (L.W.); (C.M.); (X.X.); (T.C.)
| | - Xinping Xi
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK; (M.Z.); (L.W.); (C.M.); (X.X.); (T.C.)
| | - Tianbao Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK; (M.Z.); (L.W.); (C.M.); (X.X.); (T.C.)
| | - Yitian Gao
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China; (J.Q.); (X.L.); (X.Z.)
- Correspondence: (Y.G.); (D.W.)
| | - Di Wu
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325015, China; (J.Y.); (C.T.); (X.L.)
- Correspondence: (Y.G.); (D.W.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Muratspahić E, Tomašević N, Koehbach J, Duerrauer L, Hadžić S, Castro J, Schober G, Sideromenos S, Clark RJ, Brierley SM, Craik DJ, Gruber CW. Design of a Stable Cyclic Peptide Analgesic Derived from Sunflower Seeds that Targets the κ-Opioid Receptor for the Treatment of Chronic Abdominal Pain. J Med Chem 2021; 64:9042-9055. [PMID: 34162205 PMCID: PMC8273886 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The rising opioid crisis has become a worldwide societal and public health burden, resulting from the abuse of prescription opioids. Targeting the κ-opioid receptor (KOR) in the periphery has emerged as a powerful approach to develop novel pain medications without central side effects. Inspired by the traditional use of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) preparations for analgesic purposes, we developed novel stabilized KOR ligands (termed as helianorphins) by incorporating different dynorphin A sequence fragments into a cyclic sunflower peptide scaffold. As a result, helianorphin-19 selectively bound to and fully activated the KOR with nanomolar potency. Importantly, helianorphin-19 exhibited strong KOR-specific peripheral analgesic activity in a mouse model of chronic visceral pain, without inducing unwanted central effects on motor coordination/sedation. Our study provides a proof of principle that cyclic peptides from plants may be used as templates to develop potent and stable peptide analgesics applicable via enteric administration by targeting the peripheral KOR for the treatment of chronic abdominal pain.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Abdominal Pain/drug therapy
- Analgesics/chemical synthesis
- Analgesics/chemistry
- Analgesics/pharmacology
- Animals
- Cells, Cultured
- Chronic Disease
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Drug Design
- HEK293 Cells
- Helianthus/chemistry
- Humans
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Molecular Structure
- Peptides, Cyclic/chemical synthesis
- Peptides, Cyclic/chemistry
- Peptides, Cyclic/pharmacology
- Plant Extracts/chemical synthesis
- Plant Extracts/chemistry
- Plant Extracts/pharmacology
- Receptors, Opioid, kappa/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Opioid, kappa/metabolism
- Seeds/chemistry
- Structure-Activity Relationship
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edin Muratspahić
- Center
for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nataša Tomašević
- Center
for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Koehbach
- Institute
for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence
for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Leopold Duerrauer
- Center
for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- School
of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Seid Hadžić
- Center
for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Joel Castro
- Visceral
Pain Research Group, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders
Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI), Flinders University, Bedford
Park, South Australia 5042, Australia
- Hopwood
Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Gudrun Schober
- Visceral
Pain Research Group, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders
Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI), Flinders University, Bedford
Park, South Australia 5042, Australia
- Hopwood
Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Spyridon Sideromenos
- Center for
Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard J. Clark
- School
of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Stuart M. Brierley
- Visceral
Pain Research Group, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders
Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI), Flinders University, Bedford
Park, South Australia 5042, Australia
- Hopwood
Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
- Discipline
of Medicine, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute
for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence
for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Christian W. Gruber
- Center
for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wang C, Shao C, Fang Y, Wang J, Dong N, Shan A. Binding loop of sunflower trypsin inhibitor 1 serves as a design motif for proteolysis-resistant antimicrobial peptides. Acta Biomater 2021; 124:254-269. [PMID: 33508505 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.01.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Although antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have become powerful drug candidates in the post-antibiotic era, but their low protease stability hinders their clinical application. In the present study, the natural sunflower trypsin inhibitor 1 (SFTI-1) binding loop (CTKSIPPIC) was used to design and synthesize a specific anti-proteolytic sequence template ((RX)n W (RX)n CTKSIPPIC (n = 2, 3; X represents A, I, L, V, F, and W)). After several antibacterial, bactericidal, and toxicity tests, RV3 stood out from the variants and had the highest average selectivity index (SI all = 156.03). It is highly stable in serum, varying pH, temperature, and salt ions as well as under high trypsin, pepsin, or papain concentrations. In a mouse skin inflammation model, established by Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, RV3 could effectively kill the pathogen, promote wound healing, inhibit inflammatory cell infiltration, and inhibit mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β inflammatory factors. The antibacterial mechanisms of RV3 include combining with lipopolysaccharides and increasing cell membrane permeability, leading to cell membrane rupture and death. These findings indicate that RV3 has great potential for the treatment of bacterial infections.
Collapse
|
4
|
de Veer SJ, White AM, Craik DJ. Sunflower Trypsin Inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1): Sowing Seeds in the Fields of Chemistry and Biology. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 60:8050-8071. [PMID: 32621554 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202006919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Nature-derived cyclic peptides have proven to be a vast source of inspiration for advancing modern pharmaceutical design and synthetic chemistry. The focus of this Review is sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1), one of the smallest disulfide-bridged cyclic peptides found in nature. SFTI-1 has an unusual biosynthetic pathway that begins with a dual-purpose albumin precursor and ends with the production of a high-affinity serine protease inhibitor that rivals other inhibitors much larger in size. Investigations on the molecular basis for SFTI-1's rigid structure and adaptable function have planted seeds for thought that have now blossomed in several different fields. Here we survey these applications to highlight the growing potential of SFTI-1 as a versatile template for engineering inhibitors, a prototypic peptide for studying inhibitory mechanisms, a stable scaffold for grafting bioactive peptides, and a model peptide for evaluating peptidomimetic motifs and platform technologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simon J de Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Andrew M White
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Veer SJ, White AM, Craik DJ. Der Sonnenblumen‐Trypsin‐Inhibitor 1 (SFTI‐1) in der Chemie und Biologie. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202006919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon J. Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australien
| | - Andrew M. White
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australien
| | - David J. Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australien
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zheng W, Zhou T, Li J, Jiang W, Zhang J, Xiao C, Wei D, Yang C, Xu R, Gong A, Zhang C, Bi Y. The Biosynthesis of Heterophyllin B in Pseudostellaria heterophylla From prePhHB-Encoded Precursor. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:1259. [PMID: 31749814 PMCID: PMC6842982 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Plant cyclic peptides (CPs) are a large group of small molecule metabolites found in a wide variety of plants, including traditional Chinese medicinal plants. However, the majority of plant CPs have not been studied for their biosynthetic mechanisms, including heterophyllin B (HB), which is one of the characteristic chemical components of Pseudostellaria heterophylla. Here, we screened the precursor gene (prePhHB) of HB in P. heterophylla and functionally identified its correctness in vivo and in vitro. First, we developed a new method to screen the precursors of HB from 16 candidate linear peptides. According to transcriptome sequencing data, we cloned the genes that encoded the HB precursor peptides and confirmed that the prePhHB-encoded precursor peptide could enzymatically synthesize HB. Next, we generated the transgenic tobacco that expressed prePhHB, and the results showed that HB was detected in transgenic tobacco. Moreover, we revealed that prePhHB gene expression is positively correlated with HB accumulation in P. heterophylla. Mutations in the prePhHB gene may influence the accumulation of HB in P. heterophylla. These results suggest that HB is ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptide (RiPP) derived from the precursor gene prePhHB-encoded precursor peptide, and the core peptide sequence of HB is IFGGLPPP in P. heterophylla. This study developed a new idea for the rapid identification of Caryophyllaceae-type CP precursor peptides via RNA-sequencing data mining.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zheng
- Experiment Center, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Tao Zhou
- Experiment Center, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
| | - Jun Li
- Experiment Center, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
| | - Weike Jiang
- School of Pharmacy, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
| | - Jinqiang Zhang
- Experiment Center, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
| | - Chenghong Xiao
- Experiment Center, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
| | - Dequn Wei
- Experiment Center, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
| | - Changgui Yang
- Experiment Center, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
| | - Rong Xu
- Experiment Center, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
| | - Anhui Gong
- Experiment Center, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Experiment Center, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
| | - Yan Bi
- Experiment Center, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Franke B, Mylne JS, Rosengren KJ. Buried treasure: biosynthesis, structures and applications of cyclic peptides hidden in seed storage albumins. Nat Prod Rep 2019; 35:137-146. [PMID: 29379937 DOI: 10.1039/c7np00066a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Covering: 1999 up to the end of 2017The small cyclic peptide SunFlower Trypsin Inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1) from sunflower seeds is the prototypic member of a novel family of natural products. The biosynthesis of these peptides is intriguing as their gene-encoded peptide backbone emerges from a precursor protein that also contains a seed storage albumin. The peptide sequence is cleaved out from the precursor and cyclised by the albumin-maturing enzymatic machinery. Three-dimensional solution NMR structures of a number of these peptides, and of the intact precursor protein preproalbumin with SFTI-1, have now been elucidated. Furthermore, the evolution of the family has been described and a detailed understanding of the biosynthetic steps, which are necessary to produce cyclic SFTI-1, is emerging. Macrocyclisation provides peptide stability and thus represents a key strategy in peptide drug development. Consequently the constrained structure of SFTI-1 has been explored as a template for protein engineering, for tuning selectivity towards clinically relevant proteases and for grafting in sequences with completely novel functions. Here we review the discovery of the SFTI-1 peptide family, their evolution, biosynthetic origin, and structural features, as well as highlight the potential applications of this unique class of natural products.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B Franke
- The University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Chow HY, Zhang Y, Matheson E, Li X. Ligation Technologies for the Synthesis of Cyclic Peptides. Chem Rev 2019; 119:9971-10001. [PMID: 31318534 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic peptides have been attracting a lot of attention in recent decades, especially in the area of drug discovery, as more and more naturally occurring cyclic peptides with diverse biological activities have been discovered. Chemical synthesis of cyclic peptides is essential when studying their structure-activity relationships. Conventional peptide cyclization methods via direct coupling have inherent limitations, like the susceptibility to epimerization at the C-terminus, poor solubility of fully protected peptide precursors, and low yield caused by oligomerization. In this regard, chemoselective ligation-mediated cyclization methods have emerged as effective strategies for cyclic peptide synthesis. The toolbox for cyclic peptide synthesis has been expanded substantially in the past two decades, allowing more efficient synthesis of cyclic peptides with various scaffolds and modifications. This Review will explore different chemoselective ligation technologies used for cyclic peptide synthesis that generate both native and unnatural peptide linkages. The practical issues and limitations of different methods will be discussed. The advance in cyclic peptide synthesis will benefit the biological and medicinal study of cyclic peptides, an important class of macrocycles with potentials in numerous fields, notably in therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hoi Yee Chow
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry , The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road , Hong Kong SAR , P. R. China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry , The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road , Hong Kong SAR , P. R. China
| | - Eilidh Matheson
- School of Chemistry , University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh EH8 9LE , United Kingdom
| | - Xuechen Li
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry , The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road , Hong Kong SAR , P. R. China.,Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts , Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology , Qingdao 266237 , P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Wei W, Ma J, Xie D, Zhou Y. Linking inhibitor motions to proteolytic stability of sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1. RSC Adv 2019; 9:13776-13786. [PMID: 35519558 PMCID: PMC9063939 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra02114k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The remarkable capability of an enzyme isn't only determined by its active site but also controlled by the environment. To unravel the environment role in catalysis, the dynamic motions as well as the static mechanism need to be studied. In this work, QM/MM MD simulations were employed to study the proteolysis process of SFTI-1 and BiKF, which revealed that a combination of static non-bonded interactions and dynamic motions along the reaction coordinate can account for the different hydrolysis rates between them. A comparison among SFTI-1 and three analogs with similar non-bonded interactions further revealed a positive correlation between the mobility of inhibitors and the hydrolysis rates. Apart from the cyclic backbone and disulfide bond, intramolecular hydrogen bonds also increase the rigidity of the backbone of inhibitors, and therefore hinder inhibitor motions to resist proteolysis. These new detailed mechanistic insights suggest the need to consider inhibitor motions in the rational design of peptide inhibitors. Besides the non-bonded interactions, inhibitor motions especially rotation of the scissile bond also influence proteolytic stability.![]()
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wanqing Wei
- Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 China
| | - Jing Ma
- Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 China
| | - Daiqian Xie
- Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 China
| | - Yanzi Zhou
- Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Okamoto R, Ono E, Izumi M, Kajihara Y. N,N-Dimethylaminoxy Carbonyl, a Polar Protecting Group for Efficient Peptide Synthesis. Front Chem 2019; 7:173. [PMID: 30984743 PMCID: PMC6447706 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide coupling with minimal protection is one of the desired methods for the synthesis of peptides and proteins. To achieve regioselective amide bond formation, side chain protection is often essential; however, protecting groups potentially diminish peptide solubility and render the polar polyamide chain amphipathic due to their apolar nature. In this manuscript, we describe a new protecting group, N,N-dimethylaminoxy carbonyl (Dmaoc), and its use in peptide coupling reactions. The Dmaoc group has a relatively polar character compared to the Boc group, which is a conventional protecting group for the Nε-amine of Lys residues. This polar protecting group is removable by reduction in the buffer containing (±)-dithiothreitol (DTT). Furthermore, the Dmaoc group proved compatible with peptide ligation strategies featuring the activation of N-acyl diaminobenzamides (Dbz) with sodium nitrate to generate the respective benzotriazole leaving group. The Dmaoc/Dbz strategy described in this manuscript provides a new method for the chemical synthesis of peptides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Okamoto
- Department of Chemistry, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Emiko Ono
- Department of Chemistry, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Masayuki Izumi
- Department of Chemistry, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Li CY, de Veer SJ, White AM, Chen X, Harris JM, Swedberg JE, Craik DJ. Amino Acid Scanning at P5' within the Bowman-Birk Inhibitory Loop Reveals Specificity Trends for Diverse Serine Proteases. J Med Chem 2019; 62:3696-3706. [PMID: 30888159 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1) is a 14-amino acid cyclic peptide that shares an inhibitory loop with a sequence and structure similar to a larger family of serine protease inhibitors, the Bowman-Birk inhibitors. Here, we focus on the P5' residue in the Bowman-Birk inhibitory loop and produce a library of SFTI variants to characterize the P5' specificity of 11 different proteases. We identify seven amino acids that are generally preferred by these enzymes and also correlate with P5' sequence diversity in naturally occurring Bowman-Birk inhibitors. Additionally, we show that several enzymes have divergent specificities that can be harnessed in engineering studies. By optimizing the P5' residue, we improve the potency or selectivity of existing inhibitors for kallikrein-related peptidase 5 and show that a variant with substitutions at 7 of the scaffold's 14 residues retains a similar structure to SFTI-1. These findings provide new insights into P5' specificity requirements for the Bowman-Birk inhibitory loop.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Choi Yi Li
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Simon J de Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Andrew M White
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Xingchen Chen
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation , Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane QLD 4059 , Australia
| | - Jonathan M Harris
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation , Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane QLD 4059 , Australia
| | - Joakim E Swedberg
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane QLD 4072 , Australia
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Using backbone-cyclized Cys-rich polypeptides as molecular scaffolds to target protein-protein interactions. Biochem J 2019; 476:67-83. [PMID: 30635453 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20180792] [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: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The use of disulfide-rich backbone-cyclized polypeptides, as molecular scaffolds to design a new generation of bioimaging tools and drugs that are potent and specific, and thus might have fewer side effects than traditional small-molecule drugs, is gaining increasing interest among the scientific and in the pharmaceutical industries. Highly constrained macrocyclic polypeptides are exceptionally more stable to chemical, thermal and biological degradation and show better biological activity when compared with their linear counterparts. Many of these relatively new scaffolds have been also found to be highly tolerant to sequence variability, aside from the conserved residues forming the disulfide bonds, able to cross cellular membranes and modulate intracellular protein-protein interactions both in vitro and in vivo These properties make them ideal tools for many biotechnological applications. The present study provides an overview of the new developments on the use of several disulfide-rich backbone-cyclized polypeptides, including cyclotides, θ-defensins and sunflower trypsin inhibitor peptides, in the development of novel bioimaging reagents and therapeutic leads.
Collapse
|
13
|
Engineering of an Anti-Inflammatory Peptide Based on the Disulfide-Rich Linaclotide Scaffold. Biomedicines 2018; 6:biomedicines6040097. [PMID: 30301200 PMCID: PMC6316043 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines6040097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel diseases are a set of complex and debilitating diseases, for which there is no satisfactory treatment. Peptides as small as three amino acids have been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity in mouse models of colitis, but they are likely to be unstable, limiting their development as drug leads. Here, we have grafted a tripeptide from the annexin A1 protein into linaclotide, a 14-amino-acid peptide with three disulfide bonds, which is currently in clinical use for patients with chronic constipation or irritable bowel syndrome. This engineered disulfide-rich peptide maintained the overall fold of the original synthetic guanylate cyclase C agonist peptide, and reduced inflammation in a mouse model of acute colitis. This is the first study to show that this disulfide-rich peptide can be used as a scaffold to confer a new bioactivity.
Collapse
|
14
|
de Veer SJ, Li CY, Swedberg JE, Schroeder CI, Craik DJ. Engineering potent mesotrypsin inhibitors based on the plant-derived cyclic peptide, sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 155:695-704. [PMID: 29936356 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.06.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Plants produce a diverse range of peptides and proteins that inhibit the activity of different serine proteases. The value of these inhibitors not only stems from their native role(s) in planta, but they are also regarded as promising templates for inhibitor engineering. Interest in this field has grown rapidly in recent years, particularly for therapeutic applications. The serine protease mesotrypsin has been implicated in several cancers, but is a challenging target for inhibitor engineering as a number of serine protease inhibitors that typically display broad-range activity show limited activity against mesotrypsin. In this study, we use a cyclic peptide isolated from sunflower seeds, sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1), as a scaffold for engineering potent mesotrypsin inhibitors. SFTI-1 comprises 14-amino acids and is a potent inhibitor of human cationic trypsin (Ki = 30 ± 0.8 pM) but shows 165,000-fold weaker activity against mesotrypsin (Ki = 4.96 ± 0.2 μM). Using an inhibitor library based on SFTI-1, we show that the inhibitor's P2' residue (Ile) is a key contributor to SFTI-1's limited activity against mesotrypsin. Substituting P2' Ile with chemically diverse amino acids, including non-canonical aromatic residues, produced new inhibitor variants that maintained a similar structure to SFTI-1 and showed marked improvements in activity (exceeding 100-fold). An assessment of the activity of the new inhibitors against closely-related trypsin paralogs revealed that the improved activity against mesotrypsin was accompanied by a loss in activity against off-target proteases, such that several engineered variants showed comparable activity against mesotrypsin and human cationic trypsin. Together, these findings identify potent mesotrypsin inhibitors that are suitable for further optimisation studies and demonstrate the potential gains in activity and selectivity that can be achieved by optimising the P2' residue, particularly for engineered SFTI-based inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simon J de Veer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Choi Yi Li
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Joakim E Swedberg
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Christina I Schroeder
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Gunasekera S, Fernandes-Cerqueira C, Wennmalm S, Wähämaa H, Sommarin Y, Catrina AI, Jakobsson PJ, Göransson U. Stabilized Cyclic Peptides as Scavengers of Autoantibodies: Neutralization of Anticitrullinated Protein/Peptide Antibodies in Rheumatoid Arthritis. ACS Chem Biol 2018; 13:1525-1535. [PMID: 29630823 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The occurrence of autoantibodies is a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis, specifically those autoantibodies targeting proteins containing the arginine-derived amino acid citrulline. There is strong evidence showing that the occurrence of anticitrullinated protein/peptide antibodies (ACPA) are involved in disease progression, and ACPA was recently shown to induce pain in animals. Here, we explore a novel concept useful for research, diagnostics, and possibly therapy of autoimmune diseases, namely, to directly target and neutralize autoantibodies using peptide binders. A high-affinity peptide-based scavenger of ACPA was developed by grafting a citrullinated epitope derived from human fibrinogen into a naturally occurring stable peptide scaffold. The best scavenger comprises the truncated epitope α-fibrinogen, [Cit573]fib(566-580), grafted into the scaffold sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1, SFTI-1. The final peptide demonstrates low nanomolar apparent affinity and superior stability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sunithi Gunasekera
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Biomedical Centre, Box 574, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Cátia Fernandes-Cerqueira
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine—Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Rheumatology Clinic D2:01, 171 76 Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stefan Wennmalm
- Royal Institute of Technology-KTH, Applied Physics, Experimental Biomolecular Physics, Scilifelab, Tomtebodavägen 23, 171 65 Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Heidi Wähämaa
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine—Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Rheumatology Clinic D2:01, 171 76 Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Anca I. Catrina
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine—Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Rheumatology Clinic D2:01, 171 76 Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per-Johan Jakobsson
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine—Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Rheumatology Clinic D2:01, 171 76 Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ulf Göransson
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Biomedical Centre, Box 574, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Durek T, Cromm PM, White AM, Schroeder CI, Kaas Q, Weidmann J, Ahmad Fuaad A, Cheneval O, Harvey PJ, Daly NL, Zhou Y, Dellsén A, Österlund T, Larsson N, Knerr L, Bauer U, Kessler H, Cai M, Hruby VJ, Plowright AT, Craik DJ. Development of Novel Melanocortin Receptor Agonists Based on the Cyclic Peptide Framework of Sunflower Trypsin Inhibitor-1. J Med Chem 2018; 61:3674-3684. [PMID: 29605997 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Ultrastable cyclic peptide frameworks offer great potential for drug design due to their improved bioavailability compared to their linear analogues. Using the sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1) peptide scaffold in combination with systematic N-methylation of the grafted pharmacophore led to the identification of novel subtype selective melanocortin receptor (MCR) agonists. Multiple bicyclic peptides were synthesized and tested toward their activity at MC1R and MC3-5R. Double N-methylated compound 18 showed a p Ki of 8.73 ± 0.08 ( Ki = 1.92 ± 0.34 nM) and a pEC50 of 9.13 ± 0.04 (EC50 = 0.75 ± 0.08 nM) at the human MC1R and was over 100 times more selective for MC1R. Nuclear magnetic resonance structural analysis of 18 emphasized the role of peptide bond N-methylation in shaping the conformation of the grafted pharmacophore. More broadly, this study highlights the potential of cyclic peptide scaffolds for epitope grafting in combination with N-methylation to introduce receptor subtype selectivity in the context of peptide-based drug discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Durek
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Philipp M Cromm
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia.,Institute for Advanced Study and Center of Integrated Protein Science, Department Chemie , Technische Universität München , Lichtenbergstrasse 4 , 85747 Garching , Germany
| | - Andrew M White
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Christina I Schroeder
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Quentin Kaas
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Joachim Weidmann
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Abdullah Ahmad Fuaad
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Olivier Cheneval
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Peta J Harvey
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Norelle L Daly
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| | - Yang Zhou
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Arizona , Tucson , Arizona 85721 , United States
| | - Anita Dellsén
- Mechanistic Biology & Profiling, Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit , AstraZeneca , Gothenburg 43183 Sweden
| | - Torben Österlund
- Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit , AstraZeneca , Gothenburg 43183 Sweden.,Drug Safety and Metabolism, IMED Biotech Unit , AstraZeneca , Gothenburg 43183 Sweden
| | - Niklas Larsson
- Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit , AstraZeneca , Gothenburg 43183 Sweden
| | - Laurent Knerr
- Medicinal Chemistry, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, IMED Biotech Unit , AstraZeneca , Gothenburg 43183 Sweden
| | - Udo Bauer
- Medicinal Chemistry, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, IMED Biotech Unit , AstraZeneca , Gothenburg 43183 Sweden
| | - Horst Kessler
- Institute for Advanced Study and Center of Integrated Protein Science, Department Chemie , Technische Universität München , Lichtenbergstrasse 4 , 85747 Garching , Germany
| | - Minying Cai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Arizona , Tucson , Arizona 85721 , United States
| | - Victor J Hruby
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Arizona , Tucson , Arizona 85721 , United States
| | - Alleyn T Plowright
- Medicinal Chemistry, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, IMED Biotech Unit , AstraZeneca , Gothenburg 43183 Sweden
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , QLD 4072 , Australia
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Zauner FB, Elsässer B, Dall E, Cabrele C, Brandstetter H. Structural analyses of Arabidopsis thaliana legumain γ reveal differential recognition and processing of proteolysis and ligation substrates. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:8934-8946. [PMID: 29628443 PMCID: PMC5995516 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.817031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2017] [Revised: 02/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Legumain is a dual-function protease-peptide ligase whose activities are of great interest to researchers studying plant physiology and to biotechnological applications. However, the molecular mechanisms determining the specificities for proteolysis and ligation are unclear because structural information on the substrate recognition by a fully activated plant legumain is unavailable. Here, we present the X-ray structure of Arabidopsis thaliana legumain isoform γ (AtLEGγ) in complex with the covalent peptidic Ac-YVAD chloromethyl ketone (CMK) inhibitor targeting the catalytic cysteine. Mapping of the specificity pockets preceding the substrate-cleavage site explained the known substrate preference. The comparison of inhibited and free AtLEGγ structures disclosed a substrate-induced disorder-order transition with synergistic rearrangements in the substrate-recognition sites. Docking and in vitro studies with an AtLEGγ ligase substrate, sunflower trypsin inhibitor (SFTI), revealed a canonical, protease substrate-like binding to the active site-binding pockets preceding and following the cleavage site. We found the interaction of the second residue after the scissile bond, P2'-S2', to be critical for deciding on proteolysis versus cyclization. cis-trans-Isomerization of the cyclic peptide product triggered its release from the AtLEGγ active site and prevented inadvertent cleavage. The presented integrative mechanisms of proteolysis and ligation (transpeptidation) explain the interdependence of legumain and its preferred substrates and provide a rational framework for engineering optimized proteases, ligases, and substrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Florian B Zauner
- From the Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg 5020, Austria
| | - Brigitta Elsässer
- From the Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg 5020, Austria
| | - Elfriede Dall
- From the Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg 5020, Austria
| | - Chiara Cabrele
- From the Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg 5020, Austria
| | - Hans Brandstetter
- From the Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg 5020, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Cobos Caceres C, Bansal PS, Navarro S, Wilson D, Don L, Giacomin P, Loukas A, Daly NL. An engineered cyclic peptide alleviates symptoms of inflammation in a murine model of inflammatory bowel disease. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:10288-10294. [PMID: 28473469 PMCID: PMC5473231 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.779215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are a set of complex and debilitating diseases for which there is no satisfactory treatment. Recent studies have shown that small peptides show promise for reducing inflammation in models of IBD. However, these small peptides are likely to be unstable and rapidly cleared from the circulation, and therefore, if not modified for better stability, represent non-viable drug leads. We hypothesized that improving the stability of these peptides by grafting them into a stable cyclic peptide scaffold may enhance their therapeutic potential. Using this approach, we have designed a novel cyclic peptide that comprises a small bioactive peptide from the annexin A1 protein grafted into a sunflower trypsin inhibitor cyclic scaffold. We used native chemical ligation to synthesize the grafted cyclic peptide. This engineered cyclic peptide maintained the overall fold of the naturally occurring cyclic peptide, was more effective at reducing inflammation in a mouse model of acute colitis than the bioactive peptide alone, and showed enhanced stability in human serum. Our findings suggest that the use of cyclic peptides as structural backbones offers a promising approach for the treatment of IBD and potentially other chronic inflammatory conditions.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Animals
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/chemistry
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/metabolism
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/therapeutic use
- Colitis, Ulcerative/drug therapy
- Colitis, Ulcerative/immunology
- Colitis, Ulcerative/pathology
- Colon/drug effects
- Colon/immunology
- Colon/pathology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Drug Design
- Drug Stability
- Gastrointestinal Agents/chemical synthesis
- Gastrointestinal Agents/chemistry
- Gastrointestinal Agents/therapeutic use
- Humans
- Male
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Models, Molecular
- Organ Size/drug effects
- Peptides, Cyclic/chemistry
- Peptides, Cyclic/metabolism
- Peptides, Cyclic/therapeutic use
- Protein Conformation
- Protein Engineering
- Protein Folding
- Protein Stability
- Proteolysis
- Random Allocation
- Serum/enzymology
- Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Cobos Caceres
- From the Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, AITHM, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
| | - Paramjit S Bansal
- From the Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, AITHM, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
| | - Severine Navarro
- From the Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, AITHM, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
| | - David Wilson
- From the Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, AITHM, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
| | - Laurianne Don
- From the Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, AITHM, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
| | - Paul Giacomin
- From the Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, AITHM, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
| | - Alex Loukas
- From the Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, AITHM, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
| | - Norelle L Daly
- From the Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, AITHM, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Li Y, Aboye T, Breindel L, Shekhtman A, Camarero JA. Efficient recombinant expression of SFTI-1 in bacterial cells using intein-mediated protein trans-splicing. Biopolymers 2017; 106:818-824. [PMID: 27178003 DOI: 10.1002/bip.22875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
We report for the first time the recombinant expression of bioactive wild-type sunflower trypsin inhibitor 1 (SFTI-1) inside E. coli cells by making use of intracellular protein trans-splicing in combination with a high efficient split-intein. SFTI-1 is a small backbone-cyclized polypeptide with a single disulfide bridge and potent trypsin inhibitory activity. Recombinantly produced SFTI-1 was fully characterized by NMR and was observed to actively inhibit trypsin. The in-cell expression of SFTI-1 was very efficient reaching intracellular concentration ≈ 40 µM. This study clearly demonstrates the possibility of generating genetically encoded SFTI-based peptide libraries in live E. coli cells, and is a critical first step for developing in-cell screening and directed evolution technologies using the cyclic peptide SFTI-1 as a molecular scaffold. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 106: 818-824, 2016.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yilong Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-9121
| | - Teshome Aboye
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-9121
| | - Leonard Breindel
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222
| | | | - Julio A Camarero
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-9121.,Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-9121
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Kuznetsova SS, Kolesanova EF, Talanova AV, Veselovsky AV. [Prospects for the design of new therapeutically significant protease inhibitors based on knottins and sunflower seed trypsin inhibitor (SFTI 1)]. BIOMEDIT︠S︡INSKAI︠A︡ KHIMII︠A︡ 2016; 62:353-68. [PMID: 27562989 DOI: 10.18097/pbmc20166204353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Plant seed knottins, mainly from the Cucurbitacea family, and sunflower seed trypsin inhibitor (SFTI 1) are the most low-molecular canonical peptide inhibitors of serine proteases. High efficiency of inhibition of various serine proteases, structure rigidity together with the possibility of limited variations of amino acid sequences, high chemical stability, lack of toxic properties, opportunity of production by either chemical synthesis or use of heterologous expression systems make these inhibitors attractive templates for design of new compounds for regulation of therapeutically significant serine protease activities. Hence the design of such compounds represents a prospective research field. The review considers structural characteristics of these inhibitors, their properties, methods of preparation and design of new analogs. Examples of successful employment of natural serine protease inhibitors belonging to knottin family and SFTI 1 as templates for the design of highly specific inhibitors of certain proteases are given.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - A V Talanova
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow, Russia; Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Eustache S, Leprince J, Tufféry P. Progress with peptide scanning to study structure-activity relationships: the implications for drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2016; 11:771-84. [PMID: 27310575 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2016.1201058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Peptides have gained renewed interest as candidate therapeutics. However, to bring them to a broader clinical use, challenges such as the rational optimization of their pharmacological properties remain. Peptide scanning techniques offer a systematic framework to gain information on the functional role of individual amino acids of a peptide. Due to progress in mastering new chemical synthesis routes targeting amino acid backbone, they are currently diversified. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) analyses such as alanine- or enantioneric- scanning can now be supplemented by N-substitution, lactam cyclisation- or aza-amino scanning procedures addressing not only SAR considerations but also the peptide pharmacological properties. AREAS COVERED This review highlights the different scanning techniques currently available and illustrates how they can impact drug discovery. EXPERT OPINION Progress in peptide scanning techniques opens new perspectives for peptide drug development. It comes with the promise of a paradigm change in peptide drug design in which peptide drugs will be closer to the parent peptides. However, scanning still remains assimilable to a trial and error strategy that could benefit from being combined with specific in silico approaches that start reaching maturity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Eustache
- a INSERM UMR-S 973 , University Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité , Paris , France
| | - Jérôme Leprince
- b INSERM U982 , Regional Platform for Cell Imaging of Normandy (PRIMACEN), University Rouen-Normandy , Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Pierre Tufféry
- a INSERM UMR-S 973 , University Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité , Paris , France
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Inhibition of tau aggregation using a naturally-occurring cyclic peptide scaffold. Eur J Med Chem 2016; 109:342-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 01/06/2016] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
23
|
Cyclic thrombospondin-1 mimetics: grafting of a thrombospondin sequence into circular disulfide-rich frameworks to inhibit endothelial cell migration. Biosci Rep 2015; 35:BSR20150210. [PMID: 26464514 PMCID: PMC4660582 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20150210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The findings suggest re-engineered cyclic TSP-1 mimetics are non-toxic, highly stable, and possess potent anti-angiogenesis activity without altering the native fold of the cyclic frameworks. This provides an alternative approach for cancer drug development particularly in the thrombospondin field. Tumour formation is dependent on nutrient and oxygen supply from adjacent blood vessels. Angiogenesis inhibitors can play a vital role in controlling blood vessel formation and consequently tumour progression by inhibiting endothelial cell proliferation, sprouting and migration. The primary aim of the present study was to design cyclic thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) mimetics using disulfide-rich frameworks for anti-angiogenesis therapies and to determine whether these peptides have better potency than the linear parent peptide. A short anti-angiogenic heptapeptide fragment from TSP-1 (GVITRIR) was incorporated into two cyclic disulfide-rich frameworks, namely MCoTI-II (Momordica cochinchinensis trypsin inhibitor-II) and SFTI-1 (sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1). The cyclic peptides were chemically synthesized and folded in oxidation buffers, before being tested in a series of in vitro evaluations. Incorporation of the bioactive heptapeptide fragment into the cyclic frameworks resulted in peptides that inhibited microvascular endothelial cell migration, and had no toxicity against normal primary human endothelial cells or cancer cells. Importantly, all of the designed cyclic TSP-1 mimetics were far more stable than the linear heptapeptide in human serum. The present study has demonstrated a novel approach to stabilize the active region of TSP-1. The anti-angiogenic activity of the native TSP-1 active fragment was maintained in the new TSP-1 mimetics and the results provide a new chemical approach for the design of TSP-1 mimetics.
Collapse
|
24
|
Structure and function of legumain in health and disease. Biochimie 2015; 122:126-50. [PMID: 26403494 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2015.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The last years have seen a steady increase in our understanding of legumain biology that is driven from two largely uncoupled research arenas, the mammalian and the plant legumain field. Research on legumain, which is also referred to as asparaginyl endopeptidase (AEP) or vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE), is slivered, however. Here we summarise recent important findings and put them into a common perspective. Legumain is usually associated with its cysteine endopeptidase activity in lysosomes where it contributes to antigen processing for class II MHC presentation. However, newly recognized functions disperse previously assumed boundaries with respect to their cellular compartmentalisation and enzymatic activities. Legumain is also found extracellularly and even translocates to the cytosol and the nucleus, with seemingly incompatible pH and redox potential. These different milieus translate into changes of legumain's molecular properties, including its (auto-)activation, conformational stability and enzymatic functions. Contrasting its endopeptidase activity, legumain can develop a carboxypeptidase activity which remains stable at neutral pH. Moreover, legumain features a peptide ligase activity, with intriguing mechanistic peculiarities in plant and human isoforms. In pathological settings, such as cancer or Alzheimer's disease, the proper association of legumain activities with the corresponding cellular compartments is breached. Legumain's increasingly recognized physiological and pathological roles also indicate future research opportunities in this vibrant field.
Collapse
|
25
|
In vivo efficacy of anuran trypsin inhibitory peptides against staphylococcal skin infection and the impact of peptide cyclization. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2015; 59:2113-21. [PMID: 25624332 DOI: 10.1128/aac.04324-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a virulent pathogen that is responsible for a wide range of superficial and invasive infections. Its resistance to existing antimicrobial drugs is a global problem, and the development of novel antimicrobial agents is crucial. Antimicrobial peptides from natural resources offer potential as new treatments against staphylococcal infections. In the current study, we have examined the antimicrobial properties of peptides isolated from anuran skin secretions and cyclized synthetic analogues of these peptides. The structures of the peptides were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, revealing high structural and sequence similarity with each other and with sunflower trypsin inhibitor 1 (SFTI-1). SFTI-1 is an ultrastable cyclic peptide isolated from sunflower seeds that has subnanomolar trypsin inhibitory activity, and this scaffold offers pharmaceutically relevant characteristics. The five anuran peptides were nonhemolytic and noncytotoxic and had trypsin inhibitory activities similar to that of SFTI-1. They demonstrated weak in vitro inhibitory activities against S. aureus, but several had strong antibacterial activities against S. aureus in an in vivo murine wound infection model. pYR, an immunomodulatory peptide from Rana sevosa, was the most potent, with complete bacterial clearance at 3 mg · kg(-1). Cyclization of the peptides improved their stability but was associated with a concomitant decrease in antimicrobial activity. In summary, these anuran peptides are promising as novel therapeutic agents for treating infections from a clinically resistant pathogen.
Collapse
|
26
|
Structural parameters modulating the cellular uptake of disulfide-rich cyclic cell-penetrating peptides: MCoTI-II and SFTI-1. Eur J Med Chem 2014; 88:10-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2014.06.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Revised: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 06/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
|
27
|
Sauer G, Nasu D, Tietze D, Gutmann T, Englert S, Avrutina O, Kolmar H, Buntkowsky G. Effective PHIP Labeling of Bioactive Peptides Boosts the Intensity of the NMR Signal. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014; 53:12941-5. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201404668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
|
28
|
Sauer G, Nasu D, Tietze D, Gutmann T, Englert S, Avrutina O, Kolmar H, Buntkowsky G. Effektive Markierung von bioaktiven Peptiden mit PHIP-Markern zur Steigerung der Empfindlichkeit von NMR-Signalen. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201404668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
|
29
|
Qiu Y, Hemu X, Liu DX, Tam JP. Selective Bi-directional Amide Bond Cleavage ofN-Methylcysteinyl Peptide. European J Org Chem 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.201402261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
|
30
|
Fittler H, Avrutina O, Empting M, Kolmar H. Potent inhibitors of human matriptase-1 based on the scaffold of sunflower trypsin inhibitor. J Pept Sci 2014; 20:415-20. [DOI: 10.1002/psc.2629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Revised: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Heiko Fittler
- Clemens-Schöpf Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry; Technische Universität Darmstadt; Alarich-Weiss-Straße 4 64287 Darmstadt Germany
| | - Olga Avrutina
- Clemens-Schöpf Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry; Technische Universität Darmstadt; Alarich-Weiss-Straße 4 64287 Darmstadt Germany
| | - Martin Empting
- Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS); Department Drug Design and Optimization; Campus C2.3 66123 Saarbrücken Germany
| | - Harald Kolmar
- Clemens-Schöpf Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry; Technische Universität Darmstadt; Alarich-Weiss-Straße 4 64287 Darmstadt Germany
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Brust A, Schroeder CI, Alewood PF. High-Throughput Synthesis of Peptide α-Thioesters: A Safety Catch Linker Approach Enabling Parallel Hydrogen Fluoride Cleavage. ChemMedChem 2014; 9:1038-46. [DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201300524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
|
32
|
Jia X, Kwon S, Wang CIA, Huang YH, Chan LY, Tan CC, Rosengren KJ, Mulvenna JP, Schroeder CI, Craik DJ. Semienzymatic cyclization of disulfide-rich peptides using Sortase A. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:6627-6638. [PMID: 24425873 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.539262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Disulfide-rich cyclic peptides have generated great interest in the development of peptide-based therapeutics due to their exceptional stability toward chemical, enzymatic, or thermal attack. In particular, they have been used as scaffolds onto which bioactive epitopes can be grafted to take advantage of the favorable biophysical properties of disulfide-rich cyclic peptides. To date, the most commonly used method for the head-to-tail cyclization of peptides has been native chemical ligation. In recent years, however, enzyme-mediated cyclization has become a promising new technology due to its efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness. Sortase A (SrtA) is a bacterial enzyme with transpeptidase activity. It recognizes a C-terminal penta-amino acid motif, LPXTG, and cleaves the amide bond between Thr and Gly to form a thioacyl-linked intermediate. This intermediate undergoes nucleophilic attack by an N-terminal poly-Gly sequence to form an amide bond between the Thr and N-terminal Gly. Here, we demonstrate that sortase A can successfully be used to cyclize a variety of small disulfide-rich peptides, including the cyclotide kalata B1, α-conotoxin Vc1.1, and sunflower trypsin inhibitor 1. These peptides range in size from 14 to 29 amino acids and contain three, two, or one disulfide bond, respectively, within their head-to-tail cyclic backbones. Our findings provide proof of concept for the potential broad applicability of enzymatic cyclization of disulfide-rich peptides with therapeutic potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinying Jia
- From QIMR Berghofer Medical Research, Brisbane 4000, Queensland, Australia; Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Soohyun Kwon
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ching-I Anderson Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Yen-Hua Huang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Lai Y Chan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Chia Chia Tan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - K Johan Rosengren
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jason P Mulvenna
- From QIMR Berghofer Medical Research, Brisbane 4000, Queensland, Australia
| | - Christina I Schroeder
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia.
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Kaas Q, Craik DJ. NMR of plant proteins. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY 2013; 71:1-34. [PMID: 23611313 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnmrs.2013.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Kaas
- The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Quimbar P, Malik U, Sommerhoff CP, Kaas Q, Chan LY, Huang YH, Grundhuber M, Dunse K, Craik DJ, Anderson MA, Daly NL. High-affinity cyclic peptide matriptase inhibitors. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:13885-96. [PMID: 23548907 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.460030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1) and Momordica cochinchinensis trypsin inhibitor-II (MCoTI-II) are potent protease inhibitors comprising a cyclic backbone. RESULTS Elucidation of structure-activity relationships for SFTI-1 and MCoTI-II was used to design inhibitors with enhanced inhibitory activity. CONCLUSION An analog of MCoTI-II is one of the most potent inhibitors of matriptase. SIGNIFICANCE These results provide a solid basis for the design of selective peptide inhibitors of matriptase with therapeutic potential. The type II transmembrane serine protease matriptase is a key activator of multiple signaling pathways associated with cell proliferation and modification of the extracellular matrix. Deregulated matriptase activity correlates with a number of diseases, including cancer and hence highly selective matriptase inhibitors may have therapeutic potential. The plant-derived cyclic peptide, sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1), is a promising drug scaffold with potent matriptase inhibitory activity. In the current study we have analyzed the structure-activity relationships of SFTI-1 and Momordica cochinchinensis trypsin inhibitor-II (MCoTI-II), a structurally divergent trypsin inhibitor from Momordica cochinchinensis that also contains a cyclic backbone. We show that MCoTI-II is a significantly more potent matriptase inhibitor than SFTI-1 and that all alanine mutants of both peptides, generated using positional scanning mutagenesis, have decreased trypsin affinity, whereas several mutations either maintain or result in enhanced matriptase inhibitory activity. These intriguing results were used to design one of the most potent matriptase inhibitors known to date with a 290 pm equilibrium dissociation constant, and provide the first indication on how to modulate affinity for matriptase over trypsin in cyclic peptides. This information might be useful for the design of more selective and therapeutically relevant inhibitors of matriptase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Quimbar
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Combination of Phage Display and Molecular Grafting Generates Highly Specific Tumor-Targeting Miniproteins. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2012; 51:13136-9. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201203857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2012] [Revised: 08/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
|
36
|
Zoller F, Markert A, Barthe P, Zhao W, Weichert W, Askoxylakis V, Altmann A, Mier W, Haberkorn U. Combination of Phage Display and Molecular Grafting Generates Highly Specific Tumor-Targeting Miniproteins. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2012. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201203857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
|
37
|
Making Ends Meet: Microwave-Accelerated Synthesis of Cyclic and Disulfide Rich Proteins Via In Situ Thioesterification and Native Chemical Ligation. Int J Pept Res Ther 2012; 19:43-54. [PMID: 23504256 PMCID: PMC3597280 DOI: 10.1007/s10989-012-9331-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The development of synthetic methodologies for cyclic peptides is driven by the discovery of cyclic peptide drug scaffolds such as the plant-derived cyclotides, sunflower trypsin inhibitor 1 (SFTI-1) and the development of cyclized conotoxins. Currently, the native chemical ligation reaction between an N-terminal cysteine and C-terminal thioester group remains the most robust method to obtain a head-to-tail cyclized peptide. Peptidyl thioesters are effectively generated by Boc SPPS. However, their generation is challenging using Fmoc SPPS because thioester linkers are not stable to repeated piperidine exposure during deprotection. Herein we describe a Fmoc-based protocol for synthesizing cyclic peptides adapted for microwave assisted solid phase peptide synthesis. The protocol relies on the linker Di-Fmoc-3,4-diaminobenzoic acid, and we demonstrate the use of Gly, Ser, Arg and Ile as C-terminal amino acids (using HBTU and HATU as coupling reagents). Following synthesis, an N-acylurea moiety is generated at the C-terminal of the peptide; the resin bound acylurea peptide is then deprotected and cleaved from the resin. The fully deprotected peptide undergoes thiolysis in aqueous buffer, generating the thioester in situ. Ultimately, the head-to-tail cyclized peptide is obtained via native chemical ligation. Two naturally occurring cyclic peptides, the prototypical Möbius cyclotide kalata B1 and SFTI-1 were synthesized efficiently, avoiding potential branching at the diamino linker, using the optimized protocol. In addition, we demonstrate the possibility to use the approach for the synthesis of long and synthetically challenging linear sequences, by the ligation of two truncated fragments of a 50-residue long plant defensin.
Collapse
|
38
|
Hien TBD, Maeng JH, Lee BH, Seong GH, Choo J, Lee EK. Potential application of antibody-mimicking peptides identified by phage display in immuno-magnetic separation of an antigen. J Biotechnol 2012; 161:213-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2012.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2012] [Revised: 06/09/2012] [Accepted: 06/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thai Bao Dieu Hien
- College of Bionanotechnology, Gachon University, Seongnam, 461-701, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Göransson U, Burman R, Gunasekera S, Strömstedt AA, Rosengren KJ. Circular proteins from plants and fungi. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:27001-6. [PMID: 22700984 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.r111.300129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Circular proteins, defined as head-to-tail cyclized polypeptides originating from ribosomal synthesis, represent a novel class of natural products attracting increasing interest. From a scientific point of view, these compounds raise questions of where and why they occur in nature and how they are formed. From a rational point of view, these proteins and their structural concept may be exploited for crop protection and novel pharmaceuticals. Here, we review the current knowledge of three protein families: cyclotides and circular sunflower trypsin inhibitors from the kingdom of plants and the Amanita toxins from fungi. A particular emphasis is placed on their biological origin, structure, and activity. In addition, the opportunity for discovery of novel circular proteins and recent insights into their mechanism of action are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ulf Göransson
- Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Dai H, Ciric B, Zhang GX, Rostami A. Interleukin-10 plays a crucial role in suppression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by Bowman-Birk inhibitor. J Neuroimmunol 2012; 245:1-7. [PMID: 22365083 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2012.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2011] [Revised: 12/29/2011] [Accepted: 01/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI) is a soybean-derived serine protease inhibitor with anti-inflammatory properties. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) serves as an animal model of the central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory disorder multiple sclerosis (MS). EAE is mediated by Th1 and Th17 cells which migrate into the CNS and initiate inflammation directed against myelin components, resulting in CNS pathology and neurological clinical deficit. We have shown previously that oral treatment with BBI delays onset of EAE and reduces its severity. These beneficial effects were associated with an increase in IL-10 secretion by immune cells of BBI-treated mice. It is not known, however, whether this was a causal relationship or simply an epiphenomenon. In the present study we provide evidence that BBI regulates CD4+ T cell immune responses in EAE. BBI administration delayed the onset of EAE and reduced its severity in an IL-10-dependent manner, as BBI-mediated suppression of EAE was abrogated in IL-10 knockout mice. The beneficial effects were accompanied by reduced IFN-γ, IL-17 and increased IL-10 production, as well as increased Foxp3 expression. CD4+ T cells were the major source of IL-10 in the periphery and in the CNS during BBI treatment. Furthermore, BBI-treated mice had reduced numbers of infiltrated cells in the CNS, including Th17 cells, as compared with PBS-treated control animals. In conclusion, our data provide clear evidence for the essential role of IL-10 in BBI-mediated suppression in EAE, and indicate that BBI may be a promising candidate for the development of a novel MS therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hong Dai
- Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, 900 Walnut Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Cascales L, Henriques ST, Kerr MC, Huang YH, Sweet MJ, Daly NL, Craik DJ. Identification and characterization of a new family of cell-penetrating peptides: cyclic cell-penetrating peptides. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:36932-43. [PMID: 21873420 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.264424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides can translocate across the plasma membrane of living cells and thus are potentially useful agents in drug delivery applications. Disulfide-rich cyclic peptides also have promise in drug design because of their exceptional stability, but to date only one cyclic peptide has been reported to penetrate cells, the Momordica cochinchinensis trypsin inhibitor II (MCoTI-II). MCoTI-II belongs to the cyclotide family of plant-derived cyclic peptides that are characterized by a cyclic cystine knot motif. Previous studies in fixed cells showed that MCoTI-II could penetrate cells but kalata B1, a prototypic cyclotide from a separate subfamily of cyclotides, was bound to the plasma membrane and did not translocate into cells. Here, we show by live cell imaging that both MCoTI-II and kalata B1 can enter cells. Kalata B1 has the same cyclic cystine knot structural motif as MCoTI-II but differs significantly in sequence, and the mechanism by which these two peptides enter cells also differs. MCoTI-II appears to enter via macropinocytosis, presumably mediated by interaction of positively charged residues with phosphoinositides in the cell membrane, whereas kalata B1 interacts directly with the membrane by targeting phosphatidylethanolamine phospholipids, probably leading to membrane bending and vesicle formation. We also show that another plant-derived cyclic peptide, SFTI-1, can penetrate cells. SFTI-1 includes just 14 amino acids and, with the exception of its cyclic backbone, is structurally very different from the cyclotides, which are twice the size. Intriguingly, SFTI-1 does not interact with any of the phospholipids tested, and its mechanism of penetration appears to be distinct from MCoTI-II and kalata B1. The ability of diverse disulfide-rich cyclic peptides to penetrate cells enhances their potential in drug design, and we propose a new classification for them, i.e. cyclic cell-penetrating peptides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Cascales
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Swedberg JE, de Veer SJ, Sit KC, Reboul CF, Buckle AM, Harris JM. Mastering the canonical loop of serine protease inhibitors: enhancing potency by optimising the internal hydrogen bond network. PLoS One 2011; 6:e19302. [PMID: 21556330 PMCID: PMC3083445 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0019302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2010] [Accepted: 03/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Canonical serine protease inhibitors commonly bind to their targets through a rigid loop stabilised by an internal hydrogen bond network and disulfide bond(s). The smallest of these is sunflower trypsin inhibitor (SFTI-1), a potent and broad-range protease inhibitor. Recently, we re-engineered the contact β-sheet of SFTI-1 to produce a selective inhibitor of kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (KLK4), a protease associated with prostate cancer progression. However, modifications in the binding loop to achieve specificity may compromise structural rigidity and prevent re-engineered inhibitors from reaching optimal binding affinity. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, the effect of amino acid substitutions on the internal hydrogen bonding network of SFTI were investigated using an in silico screen of inhibitor variants in complex with KLK4 or trypsin. Substitutions favouring internal hydrogen bond formation directly correlated with increased potency of inhibition in vitro. This produced a second generation inhibitor (SFTI-FCQR Asn14) which displayed both a 125-fold increased capacity to inhibit KLK4 (Ki = 0.0386±0.0060 nM) and enhanced selectivity over off-target serine proteases. Further, SFTI-FCQR Asn14 was stable in cell culture and bioavailable in mice when administered by intraperitoneal perfusion. Conclusion/Significance These findings highlight the importance of conserving structural rigidity of the binding loop in addition to optimising protease/inhibitor contacts when re-engineering canonical serine protease inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joakim E. Swedberg
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Simon J. de Veer
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kei C. Sit
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Cyril F. Reboul
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Victorian Bioinformatics Consortium, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ashley M. Buckle
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Victorian Bioinformatics Consortium, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jonathan M. Harris
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Albumins and their processing machinery are hijacked for cyclic peptides in sunflower. Nat Chem Biol 2011; 7:257-9. [PMID: 21423169 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2010] [Accepted: 01/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The cyclic peptide sunflower trypsin inhibitor 1 (SFTI-1) blocks trypsin and is a promising drug lead and protein engineering scaffold. We show that SFTI-1 and the newfound SFT-L1 are buried within PawS1 and PawS2, precursors for seed storage protein albumins. Proalbumins are matured by asparaginyl endopeptidase, which we show is required to liberate both ends of SFTI-1 as well as to mature PawS1 albumin. Thus, these peptides emerge from within an albumin precursor by the action of albumin's own processing enzyme.
Collapse
|
44
|
Rafał Ł, Anna Ł, Magdalena W, Dawid D, Adam L, Krzysztof R. Analogues of trypsin inhibitor SFTI-1 modified in the conserved P1
′ position by synthetic or non-proteinogenic amino acids retain their inhibitory activity. J Pept Sci 2011; 17:281-7. [DOI: 10.1002/psc.1330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2010] [Revised: 10/11/2010] [Accepted: 10/18/2010] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
|
45
|
Lęgowska A, Dębowski D, Lukajtis R, Wysocka M, Czaplewski C, Lesner A, Rolka K. Implication of the disulfide bridge in trypsin inhibitor SFTI-1 in its interaction with serine proteinases. Bioorg Med Chem 2010; 18:8188-93. [PMID: 21036622 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2010.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2010] [Revised: 09/27/2010] [Accepted: 10/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Fourteen monocyclic analogues of trypsin inhibitor SFTI-1 isolated from sunflower seeds were synthesized by the solid-phase method. The purpose of this work was to establish the role of a disulfide bridge present in inhibitor's side chains of Cys3 and Cys11 in association with serine proteinases. This cyclic fragment was replaced by the disulfide bridges formed by l-pencillamine (Pen), homo-l-cysteine (Hcy), N-sulfanylethylglycine (Nhcy) or combination of the three with Cys. As in the substrate specificity the P(1) position of the synthesized analogues Lys, Nlys [N-(4-aminobutyl)glycine], Phe or Nphe (N-benzylglycine) were present, and they were checked for trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory activity. The results clearly indicated that Pen and Nhcy were not acceptable at the position 3, yielding inactive analogues, whereas another residue (Cys11) could be substituted without any significant impact on the affinity towards proteinase. On the other hand, elongation of the Cys3 side chain by introduction of Hcy did not affect inhibitory activity, and an analogue with the Hcy-Hcy disulfide bridge was more than twice as effective as the reference compound ([Phe⁵] SFTI-1) in inhibition of bovine α-chymotrypsin.
Collapse
|
46
|
Clark RJ, Craik DJ. Native chemical ligation applied to the synthesis and bioengineering of circular peptides and proteins. Biopolymers 2010; 94:414-22. [PMID: 20593458 DOI: 10.1002/bip.21372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Native chemical ligation methodology developed in the laboratory of Stephen Kent is a versatile approach to the linkage of peptide fragments using a native peptide bond. It is readily adaptable to the task of joining the N- and C-termini of peptides to produce cyclic molecules and we have used it for the cyclization of a range of disulfide-rich peptides. Specifically, it has been valuable for the synthesis of cyclotides, naturally occurring peptides characterized by a head-to-tail cyclized backbone and a knotted arrangement of three conserved disulfide bonds. Cyclotides have a diverse range of biological activities, including anti-HIV, antimicrobial, and insecticidal activities. They are ultrastable owing to their cyclic cystine knot motif, and native chemical ligation methodology has been invaluable in the synthesis of a range of native and modified cyclotides to explore their structure-activity relationships and applications in drug design. Similar studies have also been applied to a smaller cyclic peptide produced in sunflower seeds, sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1, which also shows promise as a template in drug design applications. We have also found native chemical ligation to be a valuable methodology for the cyclization of conotoxins, small disulfide-rich peptides from the venoms of marine cone snails. Conotoxins target a range of ions channels and receptors and are exciting leads in drug design applications. The synthetic cyclization of conotoxins with peptide linkers stabilizes them and improves their biopharmaceutical properties. In summary, this article illustrates the use of native chemical ligation technology in the cyclization of cyclotides, sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1, and conotoxins in our laboratory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Clark
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Cascales L, Craik DJ. Naturally occurring circular proteins: distribution, biosynthesis and evolution. Org Biomol Chem 2010; 8:5035-47. [DOI: 10.1039/c0ob00139b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
|
48
|
Sunflower Trypsin Inhibitor 1 Derivatives as Molecular Scaffolds for the Development of Novel Peptidic Radiopharmaceuticals. Mol Imaging Biol 2009; 12:377-85. [DOI: 10.1007/s11307-009-0287-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2009] [Revised: 06/03/2009] [Accepted: 07/01/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
49
|
Antibody reactivity of conformational peptide mimics of a conserved H5N1 neutralization site in different fusion proteins. Arch Virol 2009; 155:19-26. [PMID: 19911251 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-009-0542-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2009] [Accepted: 10/07/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Several peptide mimics of a conserved H5N1 avian influenza virus neutralization site recognized by 8H5 mAb have been reported previously. In this study, the secondary and possibly higher structural orders of the peptide mimics 122 and 125 were investigated and found to be closely related to the specific binding with 8H5 mAb. These two peptide mimics were fused to three different carrier proteins, and the antibody binding activities were recovered in 4 of the 11 fusion proteins. HEV structural protein p239 and HBc were more suitable than the outer membrane protein T47 of the Treponema pallidum particle for the recovery of reactivity. The increase in the copy number of peptide mimics was important for the recovery of antibody-binding activity and the interaction between peptide and carrier protein may affect the spatial structure of both the peptide and the carrier protein. These results are likely to be of relevance for conformational peptide mimics in diagnostic tests, vaccine and inhibitors.
Collapse
|
50
|
Austin J, Kimura RH, Woo YH, Camarero JA. In vivo biosynthesis of an Ala-scan library based on the cyclic peptide SFTI-1. Amino Acids 2009; 38:1313-22. [PMID: 19685144 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-009-0338-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2009] [Accepted: 07/30/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
We present the in vivo biosynthesis of wild-type sunflower trypsin inhibitor 1 (SFTI-1) inside E. coli cells using an intramolecular native chemical ligation in combination with a modified protein splicing unit. SFTI-1 is a small backbone cyclized polypeptide with a single disulfide bridge. A small library containing multiple Ala mutants was also biosynthesized and its activity was assayed using a trypsin-binding assay. This study clearly demonstrates the exciting possibility of generating large cyclic peptide libraries in live E. coli cells, and is a critical first step for developing in vivo screening and directed evolution technologies using the cyclic peptide SFTI-1 as a molecular scaffold.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Austin
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|