1
|
de Abreu AP, Carvalho FC, Mariano D, Bastos LL, Silva JRP, de Oliveira LM, de Melo-Minardi RC, Sabino ADP. An Approach for Engineering Peptides for Competitive Inhibition of the SARS-COV-2 Spike Protein. Molecules 2024; 29:1577. [PMID: 38611856 PMCID: PMC11013848 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29071577] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for a respiratory disease called COVID-19 that devastated global public health. Since 2020, there has been an intense effort by the scientific community to develop safe and effective prophylactic and therapeutic agents against this disease. In this context, peptides have emerged as an alternative for inhibiting the causative agent. However, designing peptides that bind efficiently is still an open challenge. Here, we show an algorithm for peptide engineering. Our strategy consists of starting with a peptide whose structure is similar to the interaction region of the human ACE2 protein with the SPIKE protein, which is important for SARS-COV-2 infection. Our methodology is based on a genetic algorithm performing systematic steps of random mutation, protein-peptide docking (using the PyRosetta library) and selecting the best-optimized peptides based on the contacts made at the peptide-protein interface. We performed three case studies to evaluate the tool parameters and compared our results with proposals presented in the literature. Additionally, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (three systems, 200 ns each) to probe whether our suggested peptides could interact with the spike protein. Our results suggest that our methodology could be a good strategy for designing peptides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula de Abreu
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Systems, Department of Computer Science, Institute of Exact Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (A.P.d.A.); (F.C.C.); (L.L.B.); (L.M.d.O.)
| | - Frederico Chaves Carvalho
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Systems, Department of Computer Science, Institute of Exact Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (A.P.d.A.); (F.C.C.); (L.L.B.); (L.M.d.O.)
| | - Diego Mariano
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Systems, Department of Computer Science, Institute of Exact Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (A.P.d.A.); (F.C.C.); (L.L.B.); (L.M.d.O.)
| | - Luana Luiza Bastos
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Systems, Department of Computer Science, Institute of Exact Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (A.P.d.A.); (F.C.C.); (L.L.B.); (L.M.d.O.)
| | - Juliana Rodrigues Pereira Silva
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Leandro Morais de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Systems, Department of Computer Science, Institute of Exact Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (A.P.d.A.); (F.C.C.); (L.L.B.); (L.M.d.O.)
| | - Raquel C. de Melo-Minardi
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Systems, Department of Computer Science, Institute of Exact Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (A.P.d.A.); (F.C.C.); (L.L.B.); (L.M.d.O.)
| | - Adriano de Paula Sabino
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Hematology, Clinical and Toxicological Analysis Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bugatti K, Sartori A, Battistini L, Coppa C, Vanhulle E, Noppen S, Provinciael B, Naesens L, Stevaert A, Contini A, Vermeire K, Zanardi F. Novel Polymyxin-Inspired Peptidomimetics Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Spike:hACE2 Interface. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108765. [PMID: 37240111 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108765] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Though the bulk of the COVID-19 pandemic is behind, the search for effective and safe anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs continues to be relevant. A highly pursued approach for antiviral drug development involves targeting the viral spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 to prevent its attachment to the cellular receptor ACE2. Here, we exploited the core structure of polymyxin B, a naturally occurring antibiotic, to design and synthesize unprecedented peptidomimetics (PMs), intended to target contemporarily two defined, non-overlapping regions of the S receptor-binding domain (RBD). Monomers 1, 2, and 8, and heterodimers 7 and 10 bound to the S-RBD with micromolar affinity in cell-free surface plasmon resonance assays (KD ranging from 2.31 μM to 2.78 μM for dimers and 8.56 μM to 10.12 μM for monomers). Although the PMs were not able to fully protect cell cultures from infection with authentic live SARS-CoV-2, dimer 10 exerted a minimal but detectable inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 entry in U87.ACE2+ and A549.ACE2.TMPRSS2+ cells. These results validated a previous modeling study and provided the first proof-of-feasibility of using medium-sized heterodimeric PMs for targeting the S-RBD. Thus, heterodimers 7 and 10 may serve as a lead for the development of optimized compounds, which are structurally related to polymyxin, with improved S-RBD affinity and anti-SARS-CoV-2 potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Bugatti
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Andrea Sartori
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Lucia Battistini
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Crescenzo Coppa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via Venezian 21, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Emiel Vanhulle
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sam Noppen
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Becky Provinciael
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lieve Naesens
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Annelies Stevaert
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alessandro Contini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via Venezian 21, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Kurt Vermeire
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Franca Zanardi
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Singh RP, Saini N, Sharma G, Rahisuddin R, Patel M, Kaushik A, Kumaran S. Moonlighting Biochemistry of Cysteine Synthase: A Species-specific Global Regulator. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167255. [PMID: 34547327 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167255] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Cysteine Synthase (CS), the enzyme that synthesizes cysteine, performs non-canonical regulatory roles by binding and modulating functions of disparate proteins. Beyond its role in catalysis and regulation in the cysteine biosynthesis pathway, it exerts its moonlighting effect by binding to few other proteins which possess a C-terminal "CS-binding motif", ending with a terminal ILE. Therefore, we hypothesized that CS might regulate many other disparate proteins with the "CS-binding motif". In this study, we developed an iterative sequence matching method for mapping moonlighting biochemistry of CS and validated our prediction by analytical and structural approaches. Using a minimal protein-peptide interaction system, we show that five previously unknown CS-binder proteins that participate in diverse metabolic processes interact with CS in a species-specific manner. Furthermore, results show that signatures of protein-protein interactions, including thermodynamic, competitive-inhibition, and structural features, highly match the known CS-Binder, serine acetyltransferase (SAT). Together, the results presented in this study allow us to map the extreme multifunctional space (EMS) of CS and reveal the biochemistry of moonlighting space, a subset of EMS. We believe that the integrated computational and experimental workflow developed here could be further modified and extended to study protein-specific moonlighting properties of multifunctional proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Pratap Singh
- G. N. Ramachandran Protein Centre, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Sector 39-A, Chandigarh 160036, India
| | - Neha Saini
- G. N. Ramachandran Protein Centre, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Sector 39-A, Chandigarh 160036, India
| | - Gaurav Sharma
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology (IBAB), Electronic city, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560100, India
| | - R Rahisuddin
- G. N. Ramachandran Protein Centre, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Sector 39-A, Chandigarh 160036, India. https://twitter.com/RahisuddinAlig
| | - Madhuri Patel
- G. N. Ramachandran Protein Centre, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Sector 39-A, Chandigarh 160036, India
| | - Abhishek Kaushik
- G. N. Ramachandran Protein Centre, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Sector 39-A, Chandigarh 160036, India
| | - S Kumaran
- G. N. Ramachandran Protein Centre, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Sector 39-A, Chandigarh 160036, India.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wofford HA, Myers-Dean J, Vogel BA, Alamo KAE, Longshore-Neate FA, Jagodzinski F, Amacher JF. Domain Analysis and Motif Matcher (DAMM): A Program to Predict Selectivity Determinants in Monosiga brevicollis PDZ Domains Using Human PDZ Data. Molecules 2021; 26:6034. [PMID: 34641578 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26196034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Choanoflagellates are single-celled eukaryotes with complex signaling pathways. They are considered the closest non-metazoan ancestors to mammals and other metazoans and form multicellular-like states called rosettes. The choanoflagellate Monosiga brevicollis contains over 150 PDZ domains, an important peptide-binding domain in all three domains of life (Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya). Therefore, an understanding of PDZ domain signaling pathways in choanoflagellates may provide insight into the origins of multicellularity. PDZ domains recognize the C-terminus of target proteins and regulate signaling and trafficking pathways, as well as cellular adhesion. Here, we developed a computational software suite, Domain Analysis and Motif Matcher (DAMM), that analyzes peptide-binding cleft sequence identity as compared with human PDZ domains and that can be used in combination with literature searches of known human PDZ-interacting sequences to predict target specificity in choanoflagellate PDZ domains. We used this program, protein biochemistry, fluorescence polarization, and structural analyses to characterize the specificity of A9UPE9_MONBE, a M. brevicollis PDZ domain-containing protein with no homology to any metazoan protein, finding that its PDZ domain is most similar to those of the DLG family. We then identified two endogenous sequences that bind A9UPE9 PDZ with <100 μM affinity, a value commonly considered the threshold for cellular PDZ-peptide interactions. Taken together, this approach can be used to predict cellular targets of previously uncharacterized PDZ domains in choanoflagellates and other organisms. Our data contribute to investigations into choanoflagellate signaling and how it informs metazoan evolution.
Collapse
|
5
|
Imran A, Moyer BS, Canning AJ, Kalina D, Duncan TM, Moody KJ, Wolfe AJ, Cosgrove MS, Movileanu L. Kinetics of the multitasking high-affinity Win binding site of WDR5 in restricted and unrestricted conditions. Biochem J 2021; 478:2145-61. [PMID: 34032265 DOI: 10.1042/BCJ20210253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in quantitative proteomics show that WD40 proteins play a pivotal role in numerous cellular networks. Yet, they have been fairly unexplored and their physical associations with other proteins are ambiguous. A quantitative understanding of these interactions has wide-ranging significance. WD40 repeat protein 5 (WDR5) interacts with all members of human SET1/MLL methyltransferases, which regulate methylation of the histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4). Here, using real-time binding measurements in a high-throughput setting, we identified the kinetic fingerprint of transient associations between WDR5 and 14-residue WDR5 interaction (Win) motif peptides of each SET1 protein (SET1Win). Our results reveal that the high-affinity WDR5-SET1Win interactions feature slow association kinetics. This finding is likely due to the requirement of SET1Win to insert into the narrow WDR5 cavity, also named the Win binding site. Furthermore, our explorations indicate fairly slow dissociation kinetics. This conclusion is in accordance with the primary role of WDR5 in maintaining the functional integrity of a large multisubunit complex, which regulates the histone methylation. Because the Win binding site is considered a key therapeutic target, the immediate outcomes of this study could form the basis for accelerated developments in medical biotechnology.
Collapse
|
6
|
Doupnik CA. Identification of Aethina tumida Kir Channels as Putative Targets of the Bee Venom Peptide Tertiapin Using Structure-Based Virtual Screening Methods. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E546. [PMID: 31546848 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11090546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Venoms are comprised of diverse mixtures of proteins, peptides, and small molecules. Identifying individual venom components and their target(s) with mechanism of action is now attainable to understand comprehensively the effectiveness of venom cocktails and how they collectively function in the defense and predation of an organism. Here, structure-based computational methods were used with bioinformatics tools to screen and identify potential biological targets of tertiapin (TPN), a venom peptide from Apis mellifera (European honey bee). The small hive beetle (Aethina tumida (A. tumida)) is a natural predator of the honey bee colony and was found to possess multiple inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channel subunit genes from a genomic BLAST search analysis. Structure-based virtual screening of homology modelled A. tumida Kir (atKir) channels found TPN to interact with a docking profile and interface “footprint” equivalent to known TPN-sensitive mammalian Kir channels. The results support the hypothesis that atKir channels, and perhaps other insect Kir channels, are natural biological targets of TPN that help defend the bee colony from infestations by blocking K+ transport via atKir channels. From these in silico findings, this hypothesis can now be subsequently tested in vitro by validating atKir channel block as well as in vivo TPN toxicity towards A. tumida. This study highlights the utility and potential benefits of screening in virtual space for venom peptide interactions and their biological targets, which otherwise would not be feasible.
Collapse
|
7
|
Koirala B, Hillman RA, Tiwold EK, Bertucci MA, Tal-Gan Y. Defining the hydrophobic interactions that drive competence stimulating peptide (CSP)-ComD binding in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Beilstein J Org Chem 2018; 14:1769-1777. [PMID: 30112082 PMCID: PMC6071684 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.14.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell–cell communication mechanism that enables bacteria to assess their population density and alter their behavior upon reaching high cell number. Many bacterial pathogens utilize QS to initiate an attack on their host, thus QS has attracted significant attention as a potential antivirulence alternative to traditional antibiotics. Streptococcus pneumoniae, a notorious human pathogen responsible for a variety of acute and chronic infections, utilizes the competence regulon and its associated signaling peptide, the competence stimulating peptide (CSP), to acquire antibiotic resistance and establish an infection. In this work, we sought to define the binding pockets within the ComD1 receptor used for binding the hydrophobic side-chain residues in CSP1 through the introduction of highly-conservative point mutations within the peptide. Optimization of these binding interactions could lead to the development of highly potent CSP-based QS modulators while the inclusion of non-natural amino acids within the CSP sequence would confer resistance to protease degradation, a requirement for drug candidates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bimal Koirala
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 North Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada, 89557, United States
| | - Robert A Hillman
- Department of Chemistry, Moravian College, 1200 Main Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 18018, United States
| | - Erin K Tiwold
- Department of Chemistry, Moravian College, 1200 Main Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 18018, United States
| | - Michael A Bertucci
- Department of Chemistry, Moravian College, 1200 Main Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 18018, United States
| | - Yftah Tal-Gan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 North Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada, 89557, United States
| |
Collapse
|