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Varizhuk IV, Tsvetkov VB, Toropygin IY, Stomakhin AA, Kolganova NA, Surzhikov SA, Timofeev EN. The Regioselective Conjugation of the 15-nt Thrombin Aptamer with an Optimized Tripeptide Sequence Greatly Increases the Anticoagulant Activity of the Aptamer. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15020604. [PMID: 36839926 PMCID: PMC9967020 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, oligonucleotide therapy has emerged as a new paradigm in the treatment of human diseases. In many cases, however, therapeutic oligonucleotides cannot be used directly without modification. Chemical modification or the conjugation of therapeutic oligonucleotides is required to increase their stability or specificity, improve their affinity or inhibitory characteristics, and address delivery issues. Recently, we proposed a conjugation strategy for a 15-nt G-quadruplex thrombin aptamer aimed at extending the recognition interface of the aptamer. In particular, we have prepared a series of designer peptide conjugates of the thrombin aptamer, showing improved anticoagulant activity. Herein, we report a new series of aptamer-peptide conjugates with optimized peptide sequences. The anti-thrombotic activity of aptamer conjugates was notably improved. The lead conjugate, TBA-GLE, was able to inhibit thrombin-induced coagulation approximately six-fold more efficiently than the unmodified aptamer. In terms of its anticoagulant activity, the TBA-GLE conjugate approaches NU172, one of the most potent G-quadruplex thrombin aptamers. Molecular dynamics studies have confirmed that the principles applied to the design of the peptide side chain are efficient instruments for improving aptamer characteristics for the proposed TBA conjugate model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina V. Varizhuk
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir B. Tsvetkov
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, 119435 Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Biodesign and Complex System Modeling, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119146 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ilya Yu. Toropygin
- Department of Proteomics, V.N. Orekhovich Research Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow 119832, Russia
| | - Andrey A. Stomakhin
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Natalia A. Kolganova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergei A. Surzhikov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Edward N. Timofeev
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence:
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Oliveras À, Camó C, Caravaca-Fuentes P, Moll L, Riesco-Llach G, Gil-Caballero S, Badosa E, Bonaterra A, Montesinos E, Feliu L, Planas M. Peptide Conjugates Derived from flg15, Pep13, and PIP1 That Are Active against Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria and Trigger Plant Defense Responses. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022;:e0057422. [PMID: 35638842 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00574-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Thirty peptide conjugates were designed by combining an antimicrobial peptide (BP16, BP100, BP143, KSL-W, BP387, or BP475) at the N- or C-terminus of a plant defense elicitor peptide (flg15, BP13, Pep13, or PIP1). These conjugates were highly active in vitro against six plant-pathogenic bacteria, especially against Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni, Xanthomonas fragariae and Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria. The most active peptides were those incorporating Pep13. The order of the conjugation influenced the antibacterial activity and the hemolysis. Regarding the former, peptide conjugates incorporating the elicitor peptide flg15 or Pep13 at the C-terminus were, in general, more active against Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae and P. syringae pv. syringae, whereas those bearing these elicitor peptides at the N-terminus displayed higher activity against Erwinia. amylovora and the Xanthomonas species. The best peptide conjugates displayed MIC values between 0.8 and 12.5 μM against all the bacteria tested and also had low levels of hemolysis and low phytotoxicity. Analysis of the structural and physicochemical parameters revealed that a positive charge ranging from +5 to +7 and a moderate hydrophobic moment/amphipathic character is required for an optimal biological profile. Interestingly, flg15-BP475 exhibited a dual activity, causing the upregulation of the same genes as flg15 and reducing the severity of bacterial spot in tomato plants with a similar or even higher efficacy than copper oxychloride. Characterization by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of the secondary structure of flg15-BP475 showed that residues 10 to 25 fold into an α-helix. This study establishes trends to design new bifunctional peptides useful against plant diseases caused by plant-pathogenic bacteria. IMPORTANCE The consequences of plant pathogens on crop production together with the lack of effective and environmentally friendly pesticides evidence the need of new agents to control plant diseases. Antimicrobial and plant defense elicitor peptides have emerged as good candidates to tackle this problem. This study focused on combining these two types of peptides into a single conjugate with the aim to potentiate the activity of the individual fragments. Differences in the biological activity of the resulting peptide conjugates were obtained depending on their charge, amphipathicity, and hydrophobicity, as well as on the order of the conjugation of the monomers. This work provided bifunctional peptide conjugates able to inhibit several plant-pathogenic bacteria, to stimulate plant defense responses, and to reduce the severity of bacterial spot in tomato plants. Thus, this study could serve as the basis for the development of new antibacterial/plant defense elicitor peptides to control bacterial plant pathogens.
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Linsley CS, Sung K, White C, Abecunas CA, Tawil BJ, Wu BM. Functionalizing Fibrin Hydrogels with Thermally Responsive Oligonucleotide Tethers for On-Demand Delivery. Bioengineering (Basel) 2022; 9:bioengineering9010025. [PMID: 35049734 PMCID: PMC8773154 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9010025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There are a limited number of stimuli-responsive biomaterials that are capable of delivering customizable dosages of a therapeutic at a specific location and time. This is especially true in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications, where it may be desirable for the stimuli-responsive biomaterial to also serve as a scaffolding material. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to engineer a traditionally non-stimuli responsive scaffold biomaterial to be thermally responsive so it could be used for on-demand drug delivery applications. Fibrin hydrogels are frequently used for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications, and they were functionalized with thermally labile oligonucleotide tethers using peptides from substrates for factor XIII (FXIII). The alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor peptide had the greatest incorporation efficiency out of the FXIII substrate peptides studied, and conjugates of the peptide and oligonucleotide tethers were successfully incorporated into fibrin hydrogels via enzymatic activity. Single-strand complement oligo with either a fluorophore model drug or platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) could be released on demand via temperature increases. These results demonstrate a strategy that can be used to functionalize traditionally non-stimuli responsive biomaterials suitable for on-demand drug delivery systems (DDS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase S. Linsley
- Department of Bioengineering, Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (K.S.); (C.W.); (C.A.A.); (B.J.T.)
- Correspondence: (C.S.L.); (B.M.W.)
| | - Kevin Sung
- Department of Bioengineering, Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (K.S.); (C.W.); (C.A.A.); (B.J.T.)
| | - Cameron White
- Department of Bioengineering, Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (K.S.); (C.W.); (C.A.A.); (B.J.T.)
| | - Cara A. Abecunas
- Department of Bioengineering, Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (K.S.); (C.W.); (C.A.A.); (B.J.T.)
| | - Bill J. Tawil
- Department of Bioengineering, Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (K.S.); (C.W.); (C.A.A.); (B.J.T.)
| | - Benjamin M. Wu
- Department of Bioengineering, Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (K.S.); (C.W.); (C.A.A.); (B.J.T.)
- Division of Advanced Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Weintraub Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Correspondence: (C.S.L.); (B.M.W.)
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Caravaca-Fuentes P, Camó C, Oliveras À, Baró A, Francés J, Badosa E, Planas M, Feliu L, Montesinos E, Bonaterra A. A Bifunctional Peptide Conjugate That Controls Infections of Erwinia amylovora in Pear Plants. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26113426. [PMID: 34198776 PMCID: PMC8201157 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26113426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, peptide conjugates were designed and synthesized by incorporating the antimicrobial undecapeptide BP16 at the C- or N-terminus of the plant defense elicitor peptide flg15, leading to BP358 and BP359, respectively. The evaluation of their in vitro activity against six plant pathogenic bacteria revealed that BP358 displayed MIC values between 1.6 and 12.5 μM, being more active than flg15, BP16, BP359, and an equimolar mixture of BP16 and flg15. Moreover, BP358 was neither hemolytic nor toxic to tobacco leaves. BP358 triggered the overexpression of 6 out of the 11 plant defense-related genes tested. Interestingly, BP358 inhibited Erwinia amylovora infections in pear plants, showing slightly higher efficacy than the mixture of BP16 and flg15, and both treatments were as effective as the antibiotic kasugamycin. Thus, the bifunctional peptide conjugate BP358 is a promising agent to control fire blight and possibly other plant bacterial diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pau Caravaca-Fuentes
- LIPPSO, Department of Chemistry, Campus Montilivi, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (P.C.-F.); (C.C.); (À.O.); (M.P.); (L.F.)
| | - Cristina Camó
- LIPPSO, Department of Chemistry, Campus Montilivi, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (P.C.-F.); (C.C.); (À.O.); (M.P.); (L.F.)
| | - Àngel Oliveras
- LIPPSO, Department of Chemistry, Campus Montilivi, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (P.C.-F.); (C.C.); (À.O.); (M.P.); (L.F.)
| | - Aina Baró
- Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology-CIDSAV-XaRTA, Campus Montilivi, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (A.B.); (J.F.); (E.B.); (E.M.)
| | - Jesús Francés
- Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology-CIDSAV-XaRTA, Campus Montilivi, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (A.B.); (J.F.); (E.B.); (E.M.)
| | - Esther Badosa
- Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology-CIDSAV-XaRTA, Campus Montilivi, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (A.B.); (J.F.); (E.B.); (E.M.)
| | - Marta Planas
- LIPPSO, Department of Chemistry, Campus Montilivi, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (P.C.-F.); (C.C.); (À.O.); (M.P.); (L.F.)
| | - Lidia Feliu
- LIPPSO, Department of Chemistry, Campus Montilivi, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (P.C.-F.); (C.C.); (À.O.); (M.P.); (L.F.)
| | - Emilio Montesinos
- Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology-CIDSAV-XaRTA, Campus Montilivi, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (A.B.); (J.F.); (E.B.); (E.M.)
| | - Anna Bonaterra
- Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology-CIDSAV-XaRTA, Campus Montilivi, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (A.B.); (J.F.); (E.B.); (E.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-660719646
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5
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Li RJE, Hogervorst TP, Achilli S, Bruijns SCM, Spiekstra S, Vivès C, Thépaut M, Filippov DV, van der Marel GA, van Vliet SJ, Fieschi F, Codée JDC, van Kooyk Y. Targeting of the C-Type Lectin Receptor Langerin Using Bifunctional Mannosylated Antigens. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:556. [PMID: 32760719 PMCID: PMC7371993 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Langerhans cells (LCs) are antigen-presenting cells that reside in the skin. They uniquely express high levels of the C-type lectin receptor Langerin (CD207), which is an attractive target for antigen delivery in immunotherapeutic vaccination strategies against cancer. We here assess a library of 20 synthetic, well-defined mannoside clusters, built up from one, two, and three of six monomannosides, dimannosides, or trimannosides, appended to an oligopeptide backbone, for binding with Langerin using surface plasmon resonance and flow cytometric quantification. It is found that Langerin binding affinity increases with increasing number of mannosides. Hexavalent presentation of the mannosides resulted in binding affinities ranging from 3 to 12 μM. Trivalent presentation of the dimannosides and trimannosides led to Langerin affinity in the same range. The model melanoma gp100 antigenic peptide was subsequently equipped with a hexavalent cluster of the dimannosides and trimannosides as targeting moieties. Surprisingly, although the bifunctional conjugates were taken up in LCs in a Langerin-dependent manner, limited antigen presentation to cytotoxic T cells was observed. These results indicate that targeting glycan moieties on immunotherapeutic vaccines should not only be validated for target binding, but also on the continued effects on biology, such as antigen presentation to both CD8+ and CD4+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Jun Eveline Li
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Tim P Hogervorst
- Department of Bio-organic Synthesis, Faculty of Science, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Silvia Achilli
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CRNS, Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble, France
| | - Sven C M Bruijns
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sander Spiekstra
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Corinne Vivès
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CRNS, Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble, France
| | - Michel Thépaut
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CRNS, Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble, France
| | - Dmitri V Filippov
- Department of Bio-organic Synthesis, Faculty of Science, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Gijs A van der Marel
- Department of Bio-organic Synthesis, Faculty of Science, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sandra J van Vliet
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Franck Fieschi
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CRNS, Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble, France
| | - Jeroen D C Codée
- Department of Bio-organic Synthesis, Faculty of Science, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Yvette van Kooyk
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Shrestha R, Petley EV, Farrand KJ, Jamieson SA, Jiao W, Teesdale-Spittle PH, Mace PD, Hermans IF, Rendle PM. The Synthesis and Anti-tumour Properties of Poly Ethoxy Ethyl Glycinamide (PEE-G) Scaffolds with Multiple PD-1 Peptides Attached. ChemMedChem 2020; 15:1128-1138. [PMID: 32400116 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Multivalent structures can provide multiple interactions at a target site and improve binding affinity. The multivalent presentation of the anti-tumour heptapeptide, SNTSESF, was investigated. This peptide's activity has been attributed to blockade of the PD-1 receptor-mediated signalling pathway. Two and four peptide units were conjugated to poly ethoxy ethyl glycinamide (PEE-G) scaffolds to prepare high-purity products. These conjugates and the peptide were examined in a mouse model implanted with GL261 tumours that indicated that presenting more than two copies of peptide SNTSESF on the dendritic scaffold does not increase anti-tumour activity per peptide. The fluorescent labelled peptide and most active multivalent peptide conjugate were therefore screened for their interaction with the human PD-L1 protein in a fluorescence polarisation assay. No indication of a specific SNTSESF peptide/PD-L1 interaction was observed. This finding was further supported by a molecular modelling binding study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rinu Shrestha
- Victoria University of Wellington PO Box 33 436, Petone, 5046, New Zealand
| | - Emma V Petley
- Malaghan Institute of Medical Research PO Box 7060, Wellington, 6242, New Zealand
| | - Kathryn J Farrand
- Malaghan Institute of Medical Research PO Box 7060, Wellington, 6242, New Zealand
| | - Sam A Jamieson
- University of Otago PO Box 56, 710 Cumberland Street, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Wanting Jiao
- Victoria University of Wellington PO Box 33 436, Petone, 5046, New Zealand
| | | | - Peter D Mace
- University of Otago PO Box 56, 710 Cumberland Street, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Ian F Hermans
- Malaghan Institute of Medical Research PO Box 7060, Wellington, 6242, New Zealand
| | - Phillip M Rendle
- Victoria University of Wellington PO Box 33 436, Petone, 5046, New Zealand
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Li RJE, Hogervorst TP, Achilli S, Bruijns SC, Arnoldus T, Vivès C, Wong CC, Thépaut M, Meeuwenoord NJ, van den Elst H, Overkleeft HS, van der Marel GA, Filippov DV, van Vliet SJ, Fieschi F, Codée JDC, van Kooyk Y. Systematic Dual Targeting of Dendritic Cell C-Type Lectin Receptor DC-SIGN and TLR7 Using a Trifunctional Mannosylated Antigen. Front Chem 2019; 7:650. [PMID: 31637232 PMCID: PMC6787163 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) are important initiators of adaptive immunity, and they possess a multitude of Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRR) to generate an adequate T cell mediated immunity against invading pathogens. PRR ligands are frequently conjugated to tumor-associated antigens in a vaccination strategy to enhance the immune response toward such antigens. One of these PPRs, DC-SIGN, a member of the C-type lectin receptor (CLR) family, has been extensively targeted with Lewis structures and mannose glycans, often presented in multivalent fashion. We synthesized a library of well-defined mannosides (mono-, di-, and tri-mannosides), based on known "high mannose" structures, that we presented in a systematically increasing number of copies (n = 1, 2, 3, or 6), allowing us to simultaneously study the effect of mannoside configuration and multivalency on DC-SIGN binding via Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) and flow cytometry. Hexavalent presentation of the clusters showed the highest binding affinity, with the hexa-α1,2-di-mannoside being the most potent ligand. The four highest binding hexavalent mannoside structures were conjugated to a model melanoma gp100-peptide antigen and further equipped with a Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7)-agonist as adjuvant for DC maturation, creating a trifunctional vaccine conjugate. Interestingly, DC-SIGN affinity of the mannoside clusters did not directly correlate with antigen presentation enhancing properties and the α1,2-di-mannoside cluster with the highest binding affinity in our library even hampered T cell activation. Overall, this systematic study has demonstrated that multivalent glycan presentation can improve DC-SIGN binding but enhanced binding cannot be directly translated into enhanced antigen presentation and the sole assessment of binding affinity is thus insufficient to determine further functional biological activity. Furthermore, we show that well-defined antigen conjugates combining two different PRR ligands can be generated in a modular fashion to increase the effectiveness of vaccine constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Jun Eveline Li
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Tim P. Hogervorst
- Department of Bio-organic Synthesis, Faculty of Science, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Silvia Achilli
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble, France
| | - Sven C. Bruijns
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Tim Arnoldus
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Corinne Vivès
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble, France
| | - Chung C. Wong
- Department of Bio-organic Synthesis, Faculty of Science, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Michel Thépaut
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble, France
| | - Nico J. Meeuwenoord
- Department of Bio-organic Synthesis, Faculty of Science, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Hans van den Elst
- Department of Bio-organic Synthesis, Faculty of Science, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Herman S. Overkleeft
- Department of Bio-organic Synthesis, Faculty of Science, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Gijs A. van der Marel
- Department of Bio-organic Synthesis, Faculty of Science, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Dmitri V. Filippov
- Department of Bio-organic Synthesis, Faculty of Science, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sandra J. van Vliet
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Franck Fieschi
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble, France
| | - Jeroen D. C. Codée
- Department of Bio-organic Synthesis, Faculty of Science, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Yvette van Kooyk
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Abstract
Drugs and proteins with poor intestinal permeability have a limited oral bioavailability. To remediate this problem, a receptor-mediated endocytosis and transcytosis approach was explored. Indeed, the nontoxic β subunit of cholera toxin (CTB) can cross the intestinal barrier by binding to receptor GM1. In this study, we explored the use of GM1-binding peptides and CTB as potential covalent carriers of poorly permeable molecules. GM1-binding peptides (G23, P3) and CTB were conjugated to poorly permeable fluorescent probes such as fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and albumin-FITC using triethylene glycol spacers and click chemistry. The affinity of the peptide conjugates with receptor GM1 was confirmed by isothermal titration calorimetry or microscale thermophoresis, and the results suggested the involvement of nonspecific interactions. Conjugating the model drugs to G23 and P3 improved the internalization into Caco-2 and T84 cells, although the process was not dependent on the amount of GM1 receptor. However, conjugation of bovine serum albumin FITC to CTB increased the internalization in the same cells in a GM1-dependent pathway. Peptide conjugates demonstrated a limited permeability through a Caco-2 monolayer, whereas G23 and CTB conjugates slightly enhanced permeability through a T84 cell monolayer compared to model drugs alone. Since CTB can improve the permeability of large macromolecules such as albumin, it is an interesting carrier for the improvement of oral bioavailability of various other macromolecules such as heparins, proteins, and siRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Melkoumov
- Faculty of Pharmacy , Université de Montréal , H3C 3J7 Montréal , Québec , Canada
| | - Isabelle St-Jean
- Faculty of Pharmacy , Université de Montréal , H3C 3J7 Montréal , Québec , Canada
| | - Xavier Banquy
- Faculty of Pharmacy , Université de Montréal , H3C 3J7 Montréal , Québec , Canada
| | - Grégoire Leclair
- Faculty of Pharmacy , Université de Montréal , H3C 3J7 Montréal , Québec , Canada
| | - Jeanne Leblond Chain
- Faculty of Pharmacy , Université de Montréal , H3C 3J7 Montréal , Québec , Canada
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Li W, Tan S, Xing Y, Liu Q, Li S, Chen Q, Yu M, Wang F, Hong Z. cRGD Peptide-Conjugated Pyropheophorbide-a Photosensitizers for Tumor Targeting in Photodynamic Therapy. Mol Pharm 2018; 15:1505-1514. [PMID: 29502410 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.7b01064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Pyropheophorbide-a (Pyro) is a highly promising photosensitizer for tumor photodynamic therapy (PDT), although its very limited tumor-accumulation ability seriously restricts its clinical applications. A higher accumulation of photosensitizers is very important for the treatment of deeply seated and larger tumors. The conjugation of Pyro with tumor-homing peptide ligands could be a very useful strategy to optimize the physical properties of Pyro. Herein, we reported our studies on the conjugation of Pyro with a cyclic cRGDfK (cRGD) peptide, an integrin binding sequence, to develop highly tumor-specific photosensitizers for PDT application. To further reduce the nonspecific uptake and, thus, reduce the background distribution of the conjugates in normal tissues, we opted to add a highly hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) chain and an extra strongly hydrophilic carboxylic acid group as the linker to avoid the direct connection of the strongly hydrophobic Pyro macrocycle and cRGD ligand. We reported here the synthesis and characterization of these conjugates, and the influence of the hydrophilic modification on the biological function of the conjugates was carefully studied. The tumor-accumulation ability and photodynamic-induced cell-killing ability of these conjugates were evaluated through both in vitro cell-based experiment and in vivo distribution and tumor therapy experiments with tumor-bearing mice. Thus, the synthesized conjugate significantly improved the tumor enrichment and tumor selectivity of Pyro, as well as abolished the xenograft tumors in the murine model through a one-time PDT treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, College of Life Sciences , Nankai University , Tianjin 300071 , P. R. China
| | - Sihai Tan
- Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine , Tianjin 300193 , P. R. China
| | - Yutong Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, College of Life Sciences , Nankai University , Tianjin 300071 , P. R. China
| | - Qian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, College of Life Sciences , Nankai University , Tianjin 300071 , P. R. China
| | - Shuang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, College of Life Sciences , Nankai University , Tianjin 300071 , P. R. China
| | - Qingle Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, College of Life Sciences , Nankai University , Tianjin 300071 , P. R. China
| | - Min Yu
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital , National Clinical Research Center for Cancer , Tianjin 300060 , P. R. China
| | - Fengwei Wang
- People's Hospital of Tianjin , Tianjin 300180 , P. R. China
| | - Zhangyong Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, College of Life Sciences , Nankai University , Tianjin 300071 , P. R. China
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Rodriguez CA, Papanastasiou EA, Juba M, Bishop B. Covalent modification of a ten-residue cationic antimicrobial peptide with levofloxacin. Front Chem 2014; 2:71. [PMID: 25279373 PMCID: PMC4166900 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2014.00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2014] [Accepted: 08/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The rampant spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria has spurred interest in alternative strategies for developing next-generation antibacterial therapies. As such, there has been growing interest in cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) and their therapeutic applications. Modification of CAMPs via conjugation to auxiliary compounds, including small molecule drugs, is a new approach to developing effective, broad-spectrum antibacterial agents with novel physicochemical properties and versatile antibacterial mechanisms. Here, we've explored design parameters for engineering CAMPs conjugated to small molecules with favorable physicochemical and antibacterial properties by covalently affixing a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, levofloxacin, to the ten-residue CAMP Pep-4. Relative to the unmodified Pep-4, the conjugate was found to demonstrate substantially increased antibacterial potency under high salt concentrations. Historically, it has been observed that most CAMPs lose antibacterial effectiveness in such high ionic strength environments, a fact that has presented a challenge to their development as therapeutics. Physicochemical studies revealed that P4LC was more hydrophobic than Pep-4, while mechanistic findings indicated that the conjugate was more effective at disrupting bacterial membrane integrity. Although the inherent antibacterial effect of the incorporated levofloxacin molecules did not appear to be substantially realized in this conjugate, these findings nevertheless suggest that covalent attachment of small molecule antibiotics with favorable physicochemical properties to CAMPs could be a promising strategy for enhancing peptide performance and overall therapeutic potential. These results have broader applicability to the development of future CAMP-antibiotic conjugates for potential therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Rodriguez
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, George Mason University Fairfax, VA, USA
| | | | - Melanie Juba
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, George Mason University Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Barney Bishop
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, George Mason University Fairfax, VA, USA
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