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Nawaz MI, Rezzola S, Tobia C, Coltrini D, Belleri M, Mitola S, Corsini M, Sandomenico A, Caporale A, Ruvo M, Presta M. D-Peptide analogues of Boc-Phe-Leu-Phe-Leu-Phe-COOH induce neovascularization via endothelial N-formyl peptide receptor 3. Angiogenesis 2020; 23:357-369. [PMID: 32152757 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-020-09714-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
N-formyl peptide receptors (FPRs) are G protein-coupled receptors involved in the recruitment and activation of immune cells in response to pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Three FPRs have been identified in humans (FPR1-FPR3), characterized by different ligand properties, biological function and cellular distribution. Recent findings from our laboratory have shown that the peptide BOC-FLFLF (L-BOC2), related to the FPR antagonist BOC2, acts as an angiogenesis inhibitor by binding to various angiogenic growth factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor-A165 (VEGF). Here we show that the all-D-enantiomer of L-BOC2 (D-BOC2) is devoid of any VEGF antagonist activity. At variance, D-BOC2, as well as the D-FLFLF and succinimidyl (Succ)-D-FLFLF (D-Succ-F3) D-peptide variants, is endowed with a pro-angiogenic potential. In particular, the D-peptide D-Succ-F3 exerts a pro-angiogenic activity in a variety of in vitro assays on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and in ex vivo and in vivo assays in chick and zebrafish embryos and adult mice. This activity is related to the capacity of D-Succ-F3 to bind FRP3 expressed by HUVECs. Indeed, the effects exerted by D-Succ-F3 on HUVECs are fully suppressed by the G protein-coupled receptor inhibitor pertussis toxin, the FPR2/FPR3 antagonist WRW4 and by an anti-FPR3 antibody. A similar inhibition was observed following WRW4-induced FPR3 desensitization in HUVECs. Finally, D-Succ-F3 prevented the binding of the anti-FPR3 antibody to the cell surface of HUVECs. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that the angiogenic activity of D-Succ-F3 is due to the engagement and activation of FPR3 expressed by endothelial cells, thus shedding a new light on the biological function of this chemoattractant receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd I Nawaz
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Ophthalmology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Sara Rezzola
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Chiara Tobia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Daniela Coltrini
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Mirella Belleri
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Stefania Mitola
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Michela Corsini
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Caporale
- Istituto Di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Napoli, Italy
- Istituto Di Cristallografia, CNR, Trieste, Italy
| | - Menotti Ruvo
- Istituto Di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Napoli, Italy
- AnBition srl, Napoli, Italy
| | - Marco Presta
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
- Italian Consortium for Biotechnology (CIB), Unit of Brescia, Trieste, Italy.
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Abstract
ERK1 and ERK2 (ERK1/2) are the primary effector kinases of the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signaling pathway. A variety of substrates and regulatory partners associate with ERK1/2 through distinct D-peptide- and DEF-docking sites on their kinase domains. While understanding of D-peptides that bind to ERK1/2 has become increasingly clear over the last decade, only more recently have structures of proteins interacting with other binding sites on ERK1/2 become available. PEA-15 is a 130-residue ERK1/2 regulator that engages both the D-peptide- and DEF-docking sites of ERK kinases, and directly sequesters the ERK2 activation loop in various different phosphorylation states. Here we describe the methods used to derive crystallization-grade complexes of ERK2-PEA-15, which may also be adapted for other regulators that associate with the activation loop of ERK1/2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes F Weijman
- Biochemistry Department, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, 56, 710 Cumberland St., Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Stefan J Riedl
- Cell Death and Survival Networks Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Peter D Mace
- Biochemistry Department, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, 56, 710 Cumberland St., Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
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