Therapeutic peptides for cancer therapy. Part II - cell cycle inhibitory peptides and apoptosis-inducing peptides.

Science.gov (United States)

Raucher, Drazen; Moktan, Shama; Massodi, Iqbal; Bidwell, Gene L

2009-10-01

Therapeutic peptides have great potential as anticancer agents owing to their ease of rational design and target specificity. However, their utility in vivo is limited by low stability and poor tumor penetration. The authors review the development of peptide inhibitors with potential for cancer therapy. Peptides that arrest the cell cycle by mimicking CDK inhibitors or induce apoptosis directly are discussed. The authors searched Medline for articles concerning the development of therapeutic peptides and their delivery. Inhibition of cancer cell proliferation directly using peptides that arrest the cell cycle or induce apoptosis is a promising strategy. Peptides can be designed that interact very specifically with cyclins and/or cyclin-dependent kinases and with members of apoptotic cascades. Use of these peptides is not limited by their design, as a rational approach to peptide design is much less challenging than the design of small molecule inhibitors of specific protein-protein interactions. However, the limitations of peptide therapy lie in the poor pharmacokinetic properties of these large, often charged molecules. Therefore, overcoming the drug delivery hurdles could open the door for effective peptide therapy, thus making an entirely new class of molecules useful as anticancer drugs.

Novel Inhibitor Cystine Knot Peptides from Momordica charantia

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Richard J.; Tang, Jun; Zeng, Guang-Zhi; Franco, Octavio L.; Cantacessi, Cinzia; Craik, David J.; Daly, Norelle L.; Tan, Ning-Hua

2013-01-01

Two new peptides, MCh-1 and MCh-2, along with three known trypsin inhibitors (MCTI-I, MCTI-II and MCTI-III), were isolated from the seeds of the tropical vine Momordica charantia. The sequences of the peptides were determined using mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. Using a strategy involving partial reduction and stepwise alkylation of the peptides, followed by enzymatic digestion and tandem mass spectrometry sequencing, the disulfide connectivity of MCh-1 was elucidated to be CysI-CysIV, CysII-CysV and CysIII-CysVI. The three-dimensional structures of MCh-1 and MCh-2 were determined using NMR spectroscopy and found to contain the inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) motif. The sequences of the novel peptides differ significantly from peptides previously isolated from this plant. Therefore, this study expands the known peptide diversity in M. charantia and the range of sequences that can be accommodated by the ICK motif. Furthermore, we show that a stable two-disulfide intermediate is involved in the oxidative folding of MCh-1. This disulfide intermediate is structurally homologous to the proposed ancestral fold of ICK peptides, and provides a possible pathway for the evolution of this structural motif, which is highly prevalent in nature. PMID:24116036

Novel inhibitor cystine knot peptides from Momordica charantia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-Jun He

Full Text Available Two new peptides, MCh-1 and MCh-2, along with three known trypsin inhibitors (MCTI-I, MCTI-II and MCTI-III, were isolated from the seeds of the tropical vine Momordica charantia. The sequences of the peptides were determined using mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. Using a strategy involving partial reduction and stepwise alkylation of the peptides, followed by enzymatic digestion and tandem mass spectrometry sequencing, the disulfide connectivity of MCh-1 was elucidated to be CysI-CysIV, CysII-CysV and CysIII-CysVI. The three-dimensional structures of MCh-1 and MCh-2 were determined using NMR spectroscopy and found to contain the inhibitor cystine knot (ICK motif. The sequences of the novel peptides differ significantly from peptides previously isolated from this plant. Therefore, this study expands the known peptide diversity in M. charantia and the range of sequences that can be accommodated by the ICK motif. Furthermore, we show that a stable two-disulfide intermediate is involved in the oxidative folding of MCh-1. This disulfide intermediate is structurally homologous to the proposed ancestral fold of ICK peptides, and provides a possible pathway for the evolution of this structural motif, which is highly prevalent in nature.

Plasmin substrate binding site cooperativity guides the design of potent peptide aldehyde inhibitors.

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Swedberg, Joakim E; Harris, Jonathan M

2011-10-04

Perioperative bleeding is a cause of major blood loss and is associated with increased rates of postoperative morbidity and mortality. To combat this, antifibrinolytic inhibitors of the serine protease plasmin are commonly used to reduce bleeding during surgery. The most effective and previously widely used of these is the broad range serine protease inhibitor aprotinin. However, adverse clinical outcomes have led to use of alternative serine lysine analogues to inhibit plasmin. These compounds suffer from low selectivity and binding affinity. Consequently, a concerted effort to discover potent and selective plasmin inhibitors has developed. This study used a noncombinatorial peptide library to define plasmin's extended substrate specificity and guide the design of potent transition state analogue inhibitors. The various substrate binding sites of plasmin were found to exhibit a higher degree of cooperativity than had previously been appreciated. Peptide sequences capitalizing on these features produced high-affinity inhibitors of plasmin. The most potent of these, Lys-Met(sulfone)-Tyr-Arg-H [KM(O(2))YR-H], inhibited plasmin with a K(i) of 3.1 nM while maintaining 25-fold selectivity over plasma kallikrein. Furthermore, 125 nM (0.16 μg/mL) KM(O(2))YR-H attenuated fibrinolysis in vitro with an efficacy similar to that of 15 nM (0.20 μg/mL) aprotinin. To date, this is the most potent peptide inhibitor of plasmin that exhibits selectivity against plasma kallikrein, making this compound an attractive candidate for further therapeutic development.

Identification of novel inhibitors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa MurC enzyme derived from phage-displayed peptide libraries.

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El Zoeiby, Ahmed; Sanschagrin, François; Darveau, André; Brisson, Jean-Robert; Levesque, Roger C

2003-03-01

The machinery of peptidoglycan biosynthesis is an ideal site at which to look for novel antimicrobial targets. Phage display was used to develop novel peptide inhibitors for MurC, an essential enzyme involved in the early steps of biosynthesis of peptidoglycan monomer. We cloned and overexpressed the murA, -B and -C genes from Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the pET expression vector, adding a His-tag to their C termini. The three proteins were overproduced in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity in milligram quantities. MurA and -B were combinatorially used to synthesize the MurC substrate UDP-N-acetylmuramate, the identity of which was confirmed by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. Two phage-display libraries were screened against MurC in order to identify peptide ligands to the enzyme. Three rounds of biopanning were carried out, successively increasing elution specificity from round 1 to 3. The third round was accomplished with both non-specific elution and competitive elution with each of the three MurC substrates, UDP-N-acetylmuramic acid (UNAM), ATP and L-alanine. The DNA of 10 phage, selected randomly from each group, was extracted and sequenced, and consensus peptide sequences were elucidated. Peptides were synthesized and tested for inhibition of the MurC-catalysed reaction, and two peptides were shown to be inhibitors of MurC activity with IC(50)s of 1.5 and 0.9 mM, respectively. The powerful selection technique of phage display allowed us to identify two peptide inhibitors of the essential bacterial enzyme MurC. The peptide sequences represent the basis for the synthesis of inhibitory peptidomimetic molecules.

Synthetic peptide inhibitors of DNA replication in Staphylococcus aureus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Løbner-Olesen, Anders; Kjelstrup, Susanne

F counterselection was developed to directly select for compounds able to disrupt selected interactions. We have subsequently constructed a cyclic peptide library for intracellular synthesis of cyclic peptides using known technology. Several cyclic peptides were able to interfere with oligomerization of Dna......N (), DnaB and DnaX (). Three peptides identified as inhibitors of DnaN have been purified. Two of these peptides inhibited growth as well as DNA replication in S. aureus. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the peptides was approximately 50 g/ml. Overexpression of DnaN reduced the inhibitory...

Effective intracellular inhibition of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase by microinjection of a modified form of the specific inhibitor peptide PKi in living fibroblasts.

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Fernandez, A; Mery, J; Vandromme, M; Basset, M; Cavadore, J C; Lamb, N J

1991-08-01

In order to obtain a peptide retaining its biological activity following microinjection into living cells, we have modified a synthetic peptide [PKi(m)(6-24)], derived from the specific inhibitor protein of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (A-kinase) in two ways: (1) substitution of the arginine at position 18 for a D-arginine; (2) blockade of the side chain on the C-terminal aspartic acid by a cyclohexyl ester group. In an in vitro assay, PKi(m) has retained a specific inhibitory activity against A-kinase as assessed against six other kinases, with similar efficiency to that of the unmodified PKi(5-24) peptide. Microinjection of PKi(m) into living fibroblasts reveals its capacity to prevent the changes in cell morphology and cytoskeleton induced by drugs which activate endogenous A-kinase, whereas the original PKi peptide failed to do so. This inhibition of A-kinase in vivo by PKi(m) lasts between 4 and 6 h after injection. In light of its effective half-life, this modified peptide opens a route for the use of biologically active peptides in vivo, an approach which has been hampered until now by the exceedingly short half-life of peptides inside living cells. By providing a direct means of inhibiting A-kinase activity for sufficiently long periods to observe effects on cellular functions in living cells, PKi(m) represents a powerful tool in studying the potential role of cAMP-dependent phosphorylation in vivo.

Peptide aptamers: The versatile role of specific protein function inhibitors in plant biotechnology.

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Colombo, Monica; Mizzotti, Chiara; Masiero, Simona; Kater, Martin M; Pesaresi, Paolo

2015-11-01

In recent years, peptide aptamers have emerged as novel molecular tools that have attracted the attention of researchers in various fields of basic and applied science, ranging from medicine to analytical chemistry. These artificial short peptides are able to specifically bind, track, and inhibit a given target molecule with high affinity, even molecules with poor immunogenicity or high toxicity, and represent a remarkable alternative to antibodies in many different applications. Their use is on the rise, driven mainly by the medical and pharmaceutical sector. Here we discuss the enormous potential of peptide aptamers in both basic and applied aspects of plant biotechnology and food safety. The different peptide aptamer selection methods available both in vivo and in vitro are introduced, and the most important possible applications in plant biotechnology are illustrated. In particular, we discuss the generation of broad-based virus resistance in crops, "reverse genetics" and aptasensors in bioassays for detecting contaminations in food and feed. Furthermore, we suggest an alternative to the transfer of peptide aptamers into plant cells via genetic transformation, based on the use of cell-penetrating peptides that overcome the limits imposed by both crop transformation and Genetically Modified Organism commercialization. © 2015 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The effect of a beta-lactamase inhibitor peptide on bacterial membrane structure and integrity: a comparative study.

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Alaybeyoglu, Begum; Uluocak, Bilge Gedik; Akbulut, Berna Sariyar; Ozkirimli, Elif

2017-05-01

Co-administration of beta-lactam antibiotics and beta-lactamase inhibitors has been a favored treatment strategy against beta-lactamase-mediated bacterial antibiotic resistance, but the emergence of beta-lactamases resistant to current inhibitors necessitates the discovery of novel non-beta-lactam inhibitors. Peptides derived from the Ala46-Tyr51 region of the beta-lactamase inhibitor protein are considered as potent inhibitors of beta-lactamase; unfortunately, peptide delivery into the cell limits their potential. The properties of cell-penetrating peptides could guide the design of beta-lactamase inhibitory peptides. Here, our goal is to modify the peptide with the sequence RRGHYY that possesses beta-lactamase inhibitory activity under in vitro conditions. Inspired by the work on the cell-penetrating peptide pVEC, our approach involved the addition of the N-terminal hydrophobic residues, LLIIL, from pVEC to the inhibitor peptide to build a chimera. These residues have been reported to be critical in the uptake of pVEC. We tested the potential of RRGHYY and its chimeric derivative as a beta-lactamase inhibitory peptide on Escherichia coli cells and compared the results with the action of the antimicrobial peptide melittin, the beta-lactam antibiotic ampicillin, and the beta-lactamase inhibitor potassium clavulanate to get mechanistic details on their action. Our results show that the addition of LLIIL to the N-terminus of the beta-lactamase inhibitory peptide RRGHYY increases its membrane permeabilizing potential. Interestingly, the addition of this short stretch of hydrophobic residues also modified the inhibitory peptide such that it acquired antimicrobial property. We propose that addition of the hydrophobic LLIIL residues to the peptide N-terminus offers a promising strategy to design novel antimicrobial peptides in the battle against antibiotic resistance. Copyright © 2017 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 European

In-silico screening and validation of high-affinity tetra-peptide inhibitor of Leishmania donovani O-acetyl serine sulfhydrylase (OASS).

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Kant, Vishnu; Vijayakumar, Saravanan; Sahoo, Ganesh Chandra; Chaudhery, Shailendra S; Das, Pradeep

2018-02-07

OASS is a specific enzyme that helps Leishmania parasite to survive the oxidative stress condition in human macrophages. SAT C-terminal peptides in several organisms, including Leishmania, were reported to inhibit or reduce the activity of OASS. Small peptide and small molecules mimicking the SAT C-terminal residues are designed and tested for the inhibition of OASS in different organisms. Hence, in this study, all the possible tetra-peptide combinations were designed and screened based on the docking ability with Leishmania donovani OASS (Ld-OASS). The top ranked peptides were further validated for the stability using 50 ns molecular dynamic simulation. In order to identify the better binding capability of the peptides, the top peptides complexed with Ld-OASS were also subjected to molecular dynamic simulation. The docking and simulation results favored the peptide EWSI to possess greater advantage than previously reported peptide (DWSI) in binding with Ld-OASS active site. Also, screening of non-peptide inhibitor of Asinex Biodesign library based on the shape similarity of EWSI and DWSI was performed. The top similar molecules of each peptides were docked on to Ld-OASS active site and subsequently simulated for 20 ns. The results suggested that the ligand that shares high shape similarity with EWSI possess better binding capability than the ligand that shares high shape similarity with DWSI. This study revealed that the tetra-peptide EWSI had marginal advantage over DWSI in binding with Ld-OASS, thereby providing basis for defining a pharmacophoric scaffold for the design of peptidomimetic inhibitors as well as non-peptide inhibitors of Ld-OASS.

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase aggregation inhibitor peptide: A potential therapeutic strategy against oxidative stress-induced cell death.

Science.gov (United States)

Itakura, Masanori; Nakajima, Hidemitsu; Semi, Yuko; Higashida, Shusaku; Azuma, Yasu-Taka; Takeuchi, Tadayoshi

2015-11-13

The glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) has multiple functions, including mediating oxidative stress-induced neuronal cell death. This process is associated with disulfide-bonded GAPDH aggregation. Some reports suggest a link between GAPDH and the pathogenesis of several oxidative stress-related diseases. However, the pathological significance of GAPDH aggregation in disease pathogenesis remains unclear due to the lack of an effective GAPDH aggregation inhibitor. In this study, we identified a GAPDH aggregation inhibitor (GAI) peptide and evaluated its biological profile. The decapeptide GAI specifically inhibited GAPDH aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner. Additionally, the GAI peptide did not affect GAPDH glycolytic activity or cell viability. The GAI peptide also exerted a protective effect against oxidative stress-induced cell death in SH-SY5Y cells. This peptide could potentially serve as a tool to investigate GAPDH aggregation-related neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders and as a possible therapy for diseases associated with oxidative stress-induced cell death. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interaction of amyloid inhibitor proteins with amyloid beta peptides: insight from molecular dynamics simulations.

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Payel Das

Full Text Available Knowledge of the detailed mechanism by which proteins such as human αB- crystallin and human lysozyme inhibit amyloid beta (Aβ peptide aggregation is crucial for designing treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Thus, unconstrained, atomistic molecular dynamics simulations in explicit solvent have been performed to characterize the Aβ17-42 assembly in presence of the αB-crystallin core domain and of lysozyme. Simulations reveal that both inhibitor proteins compete with inter-peptide interaction by binding to the peptides during the early stage of aggregation, which is consistent with their inhibitory action reported in experiments. However, the Aβ binding dynamics appear different for each inhibitor. The binding between crystallin and the peptide monomer, dominated by electrostatics, is relatively weak and transient due to the heterogeneous amino acid distribution of the inhibitor surface. The crystallin-bound Aβ oligomers are relatively long-lived, as they form more extensive contact surface with the inhibitor protein. In contrast, a high local density of arginines from lysozyme allows strong binding with Aβ peptide monomers, resulting in stable complexes. Our findings not only illustrate, in atomic detail, how the amyloid inhibitory mechanism of human αB-crystallin, a natural chaperone, is different from that of human lysozyme, but also may aid de novo design of amyloid inhibitors.

A compensatory mutation provides resistance to disparate HIV fusion inhibitor peptides and enhances membrane fusion.

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Matthew P Wood

Full Text Available Fusion inhibitors are a class of antiretroviral drugs used to prevent entry of HIV into host cells. Many of the fusion inhibitors being developed, including the drug enfuvirtide, are peptides designed to competitively inhibit the viral fusion protein gp41. With the emergence of drug resistance, there is an increased need for effective and unique alternatives within this class of antivirals. One such alternative is a class of cyclic, cationic, antimicrobial peptides known as θ-defensins, which are produced by many non-human primates and exhibit broad-spectrum antiviral and antibacterial activity. Currently, the θ-defensin analog RC-101 is being developed as a microbicide due to its specific antiviral activity, lack of toxicity to cells and tissues, and safety in animals. Understanding potential RC-101 resistance, and how resistance to other fusion inhibitors affects RC-101 susceptibility, is critical for future development. In previous studies, we identified a mutant, R5-tropic virus that had evolved partial resistance to RC-101 during in vitro selection. Here, we report that a secondary mutation in gp41 was found to restore replicative fitness, membrane fusion, and the rate of viral entry, which were compromised by an initial mutation providing partial RC-101 resistance. Interestingly, we show that RC-101 is effective against two enfuvirtide-resistant mutants, demonstrating the clinical importance of RC-101 as a unique fusion inhibitor. These findings both expand our understanding of HIV drug-resistance to diverse peptide fusion inhibitors and emphasize the significance of compensatory gp41 mutations.

Investigating PKA-RII specificity using analogs of the PKA:AKAP peptide inhibitor STAD-2.

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Bendzunas, N George; Dörfler, Sabrina; Autenrieth, Karolin; Bertinetti, Daniela; Machal, Erik M F; Kennedy, Eileen J; Herberg, Friedrich W

2018-03-15

Generation of the second messenger molecule cAMP mediates a variety of cellular responses which are essential for critical cellular processes. In response to elevated cAMP levels, cAMP dependent protein kinase (PKA) phosphorylates serine and threonine residues on a wide variety of target substrates. In order to enhance the precision and directionality of these signaling events, PKA is localized to discrete locations within the cell by A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs). The interaction between PKA and AKAPs is mediated via an amphipathic α-helix derived from AKAPs which binds to a stable hydrophobic groove formed in the dimerization/docking (D/D) domain of PKA-R in an isoform-specific fashion. Although numerous AKAP disruptors have previously been identified that can inhibit either RI- or RII-selective AKAPs, no AKAP disruptors have been identified that have isoform specificity for RIα versus RIβ or RIIα versus RIIβ. As a strategy to identify isoform-specific AKAP inhibitors, a library of chemically stapled protein-protein interaction (PPI) disruptors was developed based on the RII-selective AKAP disruptor, STAD-2. An alanine was substituted at each position in the sequence, and from this library it was possible to delineate the importance of longer aliphatic residues in the formation of a region which complements the hydrophobic cleft formed by the D/D domain. Interestingly, lysine residues that were added to both terminal ends of the peptide sequence to facilitate water solubility appear to contribute to isoform specificity for RIIα over RIIβ while having only weak interaction with RI. This work supports current hypotheses on the mechanisms of AKAP binding and highlights the significance of particular residue positions that aid in distinguishing between the RII isoforms and may provide insight into future design of isoform-selective AKAP disruptors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving the representation of peptide-like inhibitor and antibiotic molecules in the Protein Data Bank.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Shuchismita; Dimitropoulos, Dimitris; Feng, Zukang; Persikova, Irina; Sen, Sanchayita; Shao, Chenghua; Westbrook, John; Young, Jasmine; Zhuravleva, Marina A; Kleywegt, Gerard J; Berman, Helen M

2014-06-01

With the accumulation of a large number and variety of molecules in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) comes the need on occasion to review and improve their representation. The Worldwide PDB (wwPDB) partners have periodically updated various aspects of structural data representation to improve the integrity and consistency of the archive. The remediation effort described here was focused on improving the representation of peptide-like inhibitor and antibiotic molecules so that they can be easily identified and analyzed. Peptide-like inhibitors or antibiotics were identified in over 1000 PDB entries, systematically reviewed and represented either as peptides with polymer sequence or as single components. For the majority of the single-component molecules, their peptide-like composition was captured in a new representation, called the subcomponent sequence. A novel concept called "group" was developed for representing complex peptide-like antibiotics and inhibitors that are composed of multiple polymer and nonpolymer components. In addition, a reference dictionary was developed with detailed information about these peptide-like molecules to aid in their annotation, identification and analysis. Based on the experience gained in this remediation, guidelines, procedures, and tools were developed to annotate new depositions containing peptide-like inhibitors and antibiotics accurately and consistently. © 2013 The Authors Biopolymers Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Potent and Selective BACE-1 Peptide Inhibitors Lower Brain Aβ Levels Mediated by Brain Shuttle Transport

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Nadine Ruderisch

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Therapeutic approaches to fight Alzheimer's disease include anti-Amyloidβ (Aβ antibodies and secretase inhibitors. However, the blood-brain barrier (BBB limits the brain exposure of biologics and the chemical space for small molecules to be BBB permeable. The Brain Shuttle (BS technology is capable of shuttling large molecules into the brain. This allows for new types of therapeutic modalities engineered for optimal efficacy on the molecular target in the brain independent of brain penetrating properties. To this end, we designed BACE1 peptide inhibitors with varying lipid modifications with single-digit picomolar cellular potency. Secondly, we generated active-exosite peptides with structurally confirmed dual binding mode and improved potency. When fused to the BS via sortase coupling, these BACE1 inhibitors significantly reduced brain Aβ levels in mice after intravenous administration. In plasma, both BS and non-BS BACE1 inhibitor peptides induced a significant time- and dose-dependent decrease of Aβ. Our results demonstrate that the BS is essential for BACE1 peptide inhibitors to be efficacious in the brain and active-exosite design of BACE1 peptide inhibitors together with lipid modification may be of therapeutic relevance.

Potent and Selective Peptidyl Boronic Acid Inhibitors of the Serine Protease Prostate-Specific Antigen

Science.gov (United States)

LeBeau, Aaron M.; Singh, Pratap; Isaacs, John T.; Denmeade, Samuel R.

2012-01-01

SUMMARY Prostate cancer cells produce high (microgram to milligram/milliliter) levels of the serine protease Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA). PSA is enzymatically active in the extracellular fluid surrounding prostate cancers but is found at 1,000- to 10,000-fold lower concentrations in the circulation, where it is inactivated due to binding to abundant serum protease inhibitors. The exclusive presence of high levels of active PSA within prostate cancer sites makes PSA an attractive candidate for targeted imaging and therapeutics. A synthetic approach based on a peptide substrate identified first peptide aldehyde and then boronic acid inhibitors of PSA. The best of these had the sequence Cbz-Ser-Ser-Lys-Leu-(boro)Leu, with a Ki for PSA of 65 nM. The inhibitor had a 60-fold higher Ki for chymotrypsin. A validated model of PSA’s catalytic site confirmed the critical interactions between the inhibitor and residues within the PSA enzyme. PMID:18635003

PinaColada: peptide-inhibitor ant colony ad-hoc design algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaidman, Daniel; Wolfson, Haim J

2016-08-01

Design of protein-protein interaction (PPI) inhibitors is a major challenge in Structural Bioinformatics. Peptides, especially short ones (5-15 amino acid long), are natural candidates for inhibition of protein-protein complexes due to several attractive features such as high structural compatibility with the protein binding site (mimicking the surface of one of the proteins), small size and the ability to form strong hotspot binding connections with the protein surface. Efficient rational peptide design is still a major challenge in computer aided drug design, due to the huge space of possible sequences, which is exponential in the length of the peptide, and the high flexibility of peptide conformations. In this article we present PinaColada, a novel computational method for the design of peptide inhibitors for protein-protein interactions. We employ a version of the ant colony optimization heuristic, which is used to explore the exponential space ([Formula: see text]) of length n peptide sequences, in combination with our fast robotics motivated PepCrawler algorithm, which explores the conformational space for each candidate sequence. PinaColada is being run in parallel, on a DELL PowerEdge 2.8 GHZ computer with 20 cores and 256 GB memory, and takes up to 24 h to design a peptide of 5-15 amino acids length. An online server available at: http://bioinfo3d.cs.tau.ac.il/PinaColada/. danielza@post.tau.ac.il; wolfson@tau.ac.il. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Identification of a peptide inhibitor for the histone methyltransferase WHSC1.

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Michael J Morrison

Full Text Available WHSC1 is a histone methyltransferase that is responsible for mono- and dimethylation of lysine 36 on histone H3 and has been implicated as a driver in a variety of hematological and solid tumors. Currently, there is a complete lack of validated chemical matter for this important drug discovery target. Herein we report on the first fully validated WHSC1 inhibitor, PTD2, a norleucine-containing peptide derived from the histone H4 sequence. This peptide exhibits micromolar affinity towards WHSC1 in biochemical and biophysical assays. Furthermore, a crystal structure was solved with the peptide in complex with SAM and the SET domain of WHSC1L1. This inhibitor is an important first step in creating potent, selective WHSC1 tool compounds for the purposes of understanding the complex biology in relation to human disease.

Novel nonpeptidic inhibitors of peptide deformylase.

Science.gov (United States)

Jayasekera, M M; Kendall, A; Shammas, R; Dermyer, M; Tomala, M; Shapiro, M A; Holler, T P

2000-09-15

A novel series of nonpeptidic compounds structurally related to the known anticholesteremic thyropropic acid were found to inhibit Escherichia coli peptide deformylase (PDF), with IC50 values in the low-micromolar range. Kinetic analysis of [4-(4-hydroxyphenoxy)-3,5-diiodophenyl]acetic acid reveals competitive inhibition, with a Ki value of 0.66 +/- 0.007 microM. A structure-activity relationship study demonstrates that the carboxylate is required for activity, while the distal phenolic function can be methylated without significant effect. Either decreasing the number of iodine atoms on the molecule to one or increasing the number of iodine atoms to four results in the loss of an order of magnitude in potency. These compounds are the first nonpeptidic inhibitors disclosed and represent a template from which better inhibitors might be designed.

Elapid Snake Venom Analyses Show the Specificity of the Peptide Composition at the Level of Genera Naja and Notechis

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Aisha Munawar

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Elapid snake venom is a highly valuable, but till now mainly unexplored, source of pharmacologically important peptides. We analyzed the peptide fractions with molecular masses up to 10 kDa of two elapid snake venoms—that of the African cobra, N. m. mossambica (genus Naja, and the Peninsula tiger snake, N. scutatus, from Kangaroo Island (genus Notechis. A combination of chromatographic methods was used to isolate the peptides, which were characterized by combining complimentary mass spectrometric techniques. Comparative analysis of the peptide compositions of two venoms showed specificity at the genus level. Three-finger (3-F cytotoxins, bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPPs and a bradykinin inhibitor were isolated from the Naja venom. 3-F neurotoxins, Kunitz/basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI-type inhibitors and a natriuretic peptide were identified in the N. venom. The inhibiting activity of the peptides was confirmed in vitro with a selected array of proteases. Cytotoxin 1 (P01467 from the Naja venom might be involved in the disturbance of cellular processes by inhibiting the cell 20S-proteasome. A high degree of similarity between BPPs from elapid and viperid snake venoms was observed, suggesting that these molecules play a key role in snake venoms and also indicating that these peptides were recruited into the snake venom prior to the evolutionary divergence of the snakes.

[Ala12]MCD peptide: a lead peptide to inhibitors of immunoglobulin E binding to mast cell receptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Buku, A; Condie, B A; Price, J A; Mezei, M

2005-09-01

An effort was made to discover mast cell degranulating (MCD) peptide analogs that bind with high affinity to mast cell receptors without triggering secretion of histamine or other mediators of the allergic reaction initiated by immunoglobulin E (IgE) after mast cell activation. Such compounds could serve as inhibitors of IgE binding to mast cell receptors. An alanine scan of MCD peptide reported previously showed that the analog [Ala12]MCD was 120-fold less potent in histamine-releasing activity and fivefold more potent in binding affinity to mast cell receptors than the parent MCD peptide. Because this analog showed marginal intrinsic activity and good binding affinity it was subsequently tested in the present study as an IgE inhibitor. In contrast to MCD peptide, [Ala12]MCD showed a 50% inhibition of IgE binding to the Fc epsilon RI alpha mast cell receptor by using rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) mast cells and fluorescence polarization. Furthermore, in a beta-hexosaminidase secretory assay, the peptide also showed a 50% inhibition of the secretion of this enzyme caused by IgE. An attempt was made to relate structural changes and biologic differences between the [Ala12]MCD analog and the parent MCD peptide. The present results show that [Ala12]MCD may provide a base for designing agents to prevent IgE/Fc epsilon RI alpha interactions and, consequently, allergic conditions.

Sifuvirtide, a potent HIV fusion inhibitor peptide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Rui-Rui; Yang, Liu-Meng; Wang, Yun-Hua; Pang, Wei; Tam, Siu-Cheung; Tien, Po; Zheng, Yong-Tang

2009-01-01

Enfuvirtide (ENF) is currently the only FDA approved HIV fusion inhibitor in clinical use. Searching for more drugs in this category with higher efficacy and lower toxicity seems to be a logical next step. In line with this objective, a synthetic peptide with 36 amino acid residues, called Sifuvirtide (SFT), was designed based on the crystal structure of gp41. In this study, we show that SFT is a potent anti-HIV agent with relatively low cytotoxicity. SFT was found to inhibit replication of all tested HIV strains. The effective concentrations that inhibited 50% viral replication (EC 50 ), as determined in all tested strains, were either comparable or lower than benchmark values derived from well-known anti-HIV drugs like ENF or AZT, while the cytotoxic concentrations causing 50% cell death (CC 50 ) were relatively high, rendering it an ideal anti-HIV agent. A GST-pull down assay was performed to confirm that SFT is a fusion inhibitor. Furthermore, the activity of SFT on other targets in the HIV life cycle was also investigated, and all assays showed negative results. To further understand the mechanism of action of HIV peptide inhibitors, resistant variants of HIV-1 IIIB were derived by serial virus passage in the presence of increasing doses of SFT or ENF. The results showed that there was cross-resistance between SFT and ENF. In conclusion, SFT is an ideal anti-HIV agent with high potency and low cytotoxicity, but may exhibit a certain extent of cross-resistance with ENF.

A new class of HIV-1 protease inhibitor: the crystallographic structure, inhibition and chemical synthesis of an aminimide peptide isostere.

Science.gov (United States)

Rutenber, E E; McPhee, F; Kaplan, A P; Gallion, S L; Hogan, J C; Craik, C S; Stroud, R M

1996-09-01

The essential role of HIV-1 protease (HIV-1 PR) in the viral life cycle makes it an attractive target for the development of substrate-based inhibitors that may find efficacy as anti-AIDS drugs. However, resistance has arisen to potent peptidomimetic drugs necessitating the further development of novel chemical backbones for diversity based chemistry focused on probing the active site for inhibitor interactions and binding modes that evade protease resistance. AQ148 is a potent inhibitor of HIV-1 PR and represents a new class of transition state analogues incorporating an aminimide peptide isostere. A 3-D crystallographic structure of AQ148, a tetrapeptide isostere, has been determined in complex with its target HIV-1 PR to a resolution of 2.5 A and used to evaluate the specific structural determinants of AQ148 potency and to correlate structure-activity relationships within the class of related compounds. AQ148 is a competitive inhibitor of HIV-1 PR with a Ki value of 137 nM. Twenty-nine derivatives have been synthesized and chemical modifications have been made at the P1, P2, P1', and P2' sites. The atomic resolution structure of AQ148 bound to HIV-1 PR reveals both an inhibitor binding mode that closely resembles that of other peptidomimetic inhibitors and specific protein/inhibitor interactions that correlate with structure-activity relationships. The structure provides the basis for the design, synthesis and evaluation of the next generation of hydroxyethyl aminimide inhibitors. The aminimide peptide isostere is a scaffold with favorable biological properties well suited to both the combinatorial methods of peptidomimesis and the rational design of potent and specific substrate-based analogues.

A cGMP kinase mutant with increased sensitivity to the protein kinase inhibitor peptide PKI(5-24).

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Ruth, P; Kamm, S; Nau, U; Pfeifer, A; Hofmann, F

1996-01-01

Synthetic peptides corresponding to the active domain of the heat-stable inhibitor protein PKI are very potent inhibitors of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, but are extremely weak inhibitors of cGMP-dependent protein kinase. In this study, we tried to confer PKI sensitivity to cGMP kinase by site-directed mutagenesis. The molecular requirements for high affinity inhibition by PKI were deduced from the crystal structure of the cAMP kinase/PKI complex. A prominent site of interaction are residues Tyr235 and Phe239 in the catalytic subunit, which from a sandwich-like structure with Phe10 of the PKI(5-24) peptide. To increase the sensitivity for PKI, the cGMP kinase codons at the corresponding sites, Ser555 and Ser559, were changed to Tyr and Phe. The mutant cGMP kinase was stimulated half maximally by cGMP at 3-fold higher concentrations (240 nM) than the wild type (77 nM). Wild type and mutant cGMP kinase did not differ significantly in their Km and Vmax for three different substrate peptides. The PKI(5-24) peptide inhibited phosphotransferase activity of the mutant cGMP kinase with higher potency than that of wild type, with Ki values of 42 +/- .3 microM and 160 +/- .7 microM, respectively. The increased affinity of the mutant cGMP kinase was specific for the PKI(5-24) peptide. Mutation of the essential Phe10 in the PKI(5-24) sequence to an Ala yielded a peptide that inhibited mutant and wild type cGMP kinase with similar potency, with Ki values of 160 +/- 11 and 169 +/- 27 microM, respectively. These results suggest that the mutations Ser555Tyr and Ser559Phe are required, but not sufficient, for high affinity inhibition of cGMP kinase by PKI.

Structural Insights into the Mechanisms of Action of Short-Peptide HIV-1 Fusion Inhibitors Targeting the Gp41 Pocket

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Xiujuan Zhang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The deep hydrophobic pocket of HIV-1 gp41 has been considered a drug target, but short-peptides targeting this site usually lack potent antiviral activity. By applying the M-T hook structure, we previously generated highly potent short-peptide fusion inhibitors that specifically targeted the pocket site, such as MT-SC22EK, HP23L, and LP-11. Here, the crystal structures of HP23L and LP-11 bound to the target mimic peptide N36 demonstrated the critical intrahelical and interhelical interactions, especially verifying that the hook-like conformation was finely adopted while the methionine residue was replaced by the oxidation-less prone residue leucine, and that addition of an extra glutamic acid significantly enhanced the binding and inhibitory activities. The structure of HP23L bound to N36 with two mutations (E49K and L57R revealed the critical residues and motifs mediating drug resistance and provided new insights into the mechanism of action of inhibitors. Therefore, the present data help our understanding for the structure-activity relationship (SAR of HIV-1 fusion inhibitors and facilitate the development of novel antiviral drugs.

Turning a Substrate Peptide into a Potent Inhibitor for the Histone Methyltransferase SETD8

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Judge, Russell A.; Zhu, Haizhong; Upadhyay, Anup K.; Bodelle, Pierre M.; Hutchins, Charles W.; Torrent, Maricel; Marin, Violeta L.; Yu, Wenyu; Vedadi, Masoud; Li, Fengling; Brown, Peter J.; Pappano, William N.; Sun, Chaohong; Petros, Andrew M.

2016-12-08

SETD8 is a histone H4–K20 methyltransferase that plays an essential role in the maintenance of genomic integrity during mitosis and in DNA damage repair, making it an intriguing target for cancer research. While some small molecule inhibitors for SETD8 have been reported, the structural binding modes for these inhibitors have not been revealed. Using the complex structure of the substrate peptide bound to SETD8 as a starting point, different natural and unnatural amino acid substitutions were tested, and a potent (Ki 50 nM, IC50 0.33 μM) and selective norleucine containing peptide inhibitor has been obtained.

Snake Venom Metalloproteinases and Their Peptide Inhibitors from Myanmar Russell’s Viper Venom

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Khin Than Yee

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Russell’s viper bites are potentially fatal from severe bleeding, renal failure and capillary leakage. Snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs are attributed to these effects. In addition to specific antivenom therapy, endogenous inhibitors from snakes are of interest in studies of new treatment modalities for neutralization of the effect of toxins. Two major snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs: RVV-X and Daborhagin were purified from Myanmar Russell’s viper venom using a new purification strategy. Using the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS approach to explore the Myanmar RV venom gland transcriptome, mRNAs of novel tripeptide SVMP inhibitors (SVMPIs were discovered. Two novel endogenous tripeptides, pERW and pEKW were identified and isolated from the crude venom. Both purified SVMPs showed caseinolytic activity. Additionally, RVV-X displayed specific proteolytic activity towards gelatin and Daborhagin showed potent fibrinogenolytic activity. These activities were inhibited by metal chelators. Notably, the synthetic peptide inhibitors, pERW and pEKW, completely inhibit the gelatinolytic and fibrinogenolytic activities of respective SVMPs at 5 mM concentration. These complete inhibitory effects suggest that these tripeptides deserve further study for development of a therapeutic candidate for Russell’s viper envenomation.

Screening for Selective Protein Inhibitors by Using the IANUS Peptide Array.

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Erdmann, Frank; Prell, Erik; Jahreis, Günther; Fischer, Gunter; Malešević, Miroslav

2018-04-16

Finding new road blacks: A peptidic inhibitor of calcineurin (CaN)-mediated nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) dephosphorylation, which is developed through a template-assisted IANUS (Induced orgANisation of strUcture by matrix-assisted togethernesS) peptide array, is cell permeable and able to block the translocation of green fluorescent protein-NFAT fusion protein (GFP-NFAT) into the nucleus after stimulation. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Buckwheat trypsin inhibitor with helical hairpin structure belongs to a new family of plant defence peptides.

Science.gov (United States)

Oparin, Peter B; Mineev, Konstantin S; Dunaevsky, Yakov E; Arseniev, Alexander S; Belozersky, Mikhail A; Grishin, Eugene V; Egorov, Tsezi A; Vassilevski, Alexander A

2012-08-15

A new peptide trypsin inhibitor named BWI-2c was obtained from buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) seeds by sequential affinity, ion exchange and reversed-phase chromatography. The peptide was sequenced and found to contain 41 amino acid residues, with four cysteine residues involved in two intramolecular disulfide bonds. Recombinant BWI-2c identical to the natural peptide was produced in Escherichia coli in a form of a cleavable fusion with thioredoxin. The 3D (three-dimensional) structure of the peptide in solution was determined by NMR spectroscopy, revealing two antiparallel α-helices stapled by disulfide bonds. Together with VhTI, a trypsin inhibitor from veronica (Veronica hederifolia), BWI-2c represents a new family of protease inhibitors with an unusual α-helical hairpin fold. The linker sequence between the helices represents the so-called trypsin inhibitory loop responsible for direct binding to the active site of the enzyme that cleaves BWI-2c at the functionally important residue Arg(19). The inhibition constant was determined for BWI-2c against trypsin (1.7×10(-1)0 M), and the peptide was tested on other enzymes, including those from various insect digestive systems, revealing high selectivity to trypsin-like proteases. Structural similarity shared by BWI-2c, VhTI and several other plant defence peptides leads to the acknowledgement of a new widespread family of plant peptides termed α-hairpinins.

Proposal for novel curcumin derivatives as potent inhibitors against Alzheimer's disease: Ab initio molecular simulations on the specific interactions between amyloid-beta peptide and curcumin

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Ota, Shintaro; Fujimori, Mitsuki; Ishimura, Hiromi; Shulga, Sergiy; Kurita, Noriyuki

2017-10-01

Accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides in a brain is closely related with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. To suppress the production of Aβ peptides, we propose novel curcumin derivatives and investigate their binding properties with the amyloid precursor protein (APP), using protein-ligand docking as well as ab initio molecular simulations. Our proposed derivative (curcumin XIV) is found to have a large binding energy with APP and interacts strongly with the cleavage site Ala19 by secretase. It is thus expected that curcumin XIV can protect APP from the secretase attack and be a potent inhibitor against the production of Aβ peptides.

Rationally Designed Peptides and Peptidomimetics as Inhibitors of Amyloid-β (Aβ) Aggregation: Potential Therapeutics of Alzheimer's Disease.

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Goyal, Deepti; Shuaib, Suniba; Mann, Sukhmani; Goyal, Bhupesh

2017-02-13

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with no clinically accepted treatment to cure or halt its progression. The worldwide effort to develop peptide-based inhibitors of amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation can be considered an unplanned combinatorial experiment. An understanding of what has been done and achieved may advance our understanding of AD pathology and the discovery of effective therapeutic agents. We review here the history of such peptide-based inhibitors, including those based on the Aβ sequence and those not derived from that sequence, containing both natural and unnatural amino acid building blocks. Peptide-based aggregation inhibitors hold significant promise for future AD therapy owing to their high selectivity, effectiveness, low toxicity, good tolerance, low accumulation in tissues, high chemical and biological diversity, possibility of rational design, and highly developed methods for analyzing their mode of action, proteolytic stability (modified peptides), and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability.

Structure-Based Design of Peptidic Inhibitors of the Interaction between CC Chemokine Ligand 5 (CCL5) and Human Neutrophil Peptides 1 (HNP1)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wichapong, Kanin; Alard, Jean-Eric; Ortega-Gomez, Almudena; Weber, Christian; Hackeng, Tilman M.; Soehnlein, Oliver; Nicolaes, Gerry A. F.

2016-01-01

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are receiving increasing interest, much sparked by the realization that they represent druggable targets. Recently, we successfully developed a peptidic inhibitor, RRYGTSKYQ ("SKY" peptide), that shows high potential in vitro and in vivo to interrupt a PPI between

Preparation and crystallization of the Grb7 SH2 domain in complex with the G7-18NATE nonphosphorylated cyclic inhibitor peptide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yap, Min Y.; Wilce, Matthew C. J.; Clayton, Daniel J.; Perlmutter, Patrick; Aguilar, Marie-Isabel; Wilce, Jacqueline A.

2010-01-01

The preparation and successful crystallization of the Grb7 SH2 domain in complex with the specific cyclic peptide inhibitor G7-18NATE are reported. This structure is anticipated to reveal the basis of the binding affinity and specificity and to assist with the development of second-generation inhibitors of Grb7, which is involved in cancer progression. Grb7 is an adapter protein that is involved in signalling pathways that mediate eukaryotic cell proliferation and migration. Its overexpression in several cancer types has implicated it in cancer progression and led to the development of the G7-18NATE cyclic peptide inhibitor. Here, the preparation of crystals of G7-18NATE in complex with its Grb7 SH2 domain target is reported. Crystals of the complex were grown by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method using PEG 3350 as the precipitant at room temperature. X-ray diffraction data were collected from crystals to 2.4 Å resolution using synchrotron X-ray radiation at 100 K. The diffraction was consistent with space group P2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 52.7, b = 79.1, c = 54.7 Å, α = γ = 90.0, β = 104.4°. The structure of the G7-18NATE peptide in complex with its target will facilitate the rational development of Grb7-targeted cancer therapeutics

Production of peptide antisera specific for mouse and rat proinsulin C-peptide 2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blume, N; Madsen, O D; Kofod, Hans

1990-01-01

for antibody binding to the immunizing antigen. Antisera to C-peptide 2, stained islet beta-cells on mouse and rat, but not monkey pancreas sections in immunocytochemical analysis. Preabsorption to the synthetic C-peptide 2, but not the synthetic mouse and rat C-peptide 1 abolished staining. In conclusion we......Mice and rats have two functional non-allelic insulin genes. By using a synthetic peptide representing a common sequence in mouse and rat C-peptide 2 as antigen, we have produced rabbit antisera specific for an epitope which is not present in mouse or rat C-peptide 1. Long-term immunization did...... not seem to increase the end point titre as tested in direct ELISA. The specificity of the antiserum was determined by competitive ELISA and histochemistry on pancreas sections. Only the synthetic C-peptide 2, but not the homologous synthetic C-peptide 1 from mouse and rat competed efficiently in ELISA...

Design and synthesis of macrocyclic peptidyl hydroxamates as peptide deformylase inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Gang; Zhu, Jinge; Simpson, Anthony M; Pei, Dehua

2008-05-15

Macrocyclic peptidyl hydroxamates were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as peptide deformylase (PDF) inhibitors. The most potent compound exhibited tight, slow-binding inhibition of Escherichia coli PDF (K(I)(*)=4.4 nM) and had potent antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis (MIC=2-4 microg/mL).

Gold nanoparticles-based electrochemical method for the detection of protein kinase with a peptide-like inhibitor as the bioreceptor

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Sun K

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Kai Sun, Yong Chang, Binbin Zhou, Xiaojin Wang, Lin Liu Henan Province of Key Laboratory of New Optoelectronic Functional Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anyang Normal University, Anyang, Henan, People’s Republic of China Abstract: This article presents a general method for the detection of protein kinase with a peptide-like kinase inhibitor as the bioreceptor, and it was done by converting gold nanoparticles (AuNPs-based colorimetric assay into sensitive electrochemical analysis. In the colorimetric assay, the kinase-specific aptameric peptide triggered the aggregation of AuNPs in solution. However, the specific binding of peptide to the target protein (kinase inhibited its ability to trigger the assembly of AuNPs. In the electrochemical analysis, peptides immobilized on a gold electrode and presented as solution triggered together the in situ formation of AuNPs-based network architecture on the electrode surface. Nevertheless, the formation of peptide–kinase complex on the electrode surface made the peptide-triggered AuNPs assembly difficult. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to measure the change in surface property in the binding events. When a ferrocene-labeled peptide (Fc-peptide was used in this design, the network of AuNPs/Fc-peptide produced a good voltammetric signal. The competitive assay allowed for the detection of protein kinase A with a detection limit of 20 mU/mL. This work should be valuable for designing novel optical or electronic biosensors and likely lead to many detection applications. Keywords: electrochemical biosensor, colorimetric assay, gold nanoparticle, aptameric peptide, protein kinase A, signal amplification 

Specificity of B-type natriuretic peptide assays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saenger, Amy K.; Rodriguez-Fraga, Olaia; Ler, Ranka

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: B-type natriuretic peptides (BNPs) are used clinically to diagnose and monitor heart failure and are present in the circulation as multiple proBNP-derived fragments. We investigated the specificity of BNP immunoassays with glycosylated and nonglycosylated BNP, N-terminal proBNP (NT......-proBNP), and proBNP peptides to probe the cross-reactivity of each assay. METHODS: Nine B-type natriuretic peptides were studied, including synthetic and recombinant BNP (Shionogi, Scios, Mayo), human and synthetic glycosylated and nonglycosylated NT-proBNP (HyTest, Roche Diagnostics), and human glycosylated......-Rad, Goetze] were evaluated. Specificity was assessed by calculating the recovery between baseline and peptide-spiked human plasma pools at target concentrations of 100 ng/L BNP, 300 ng/L proBNP, or 450 ng/L NT-proBNP. All assays were performed in duplicate. RESULTS: BNP and NT-proBNP assays demonstrated...

Two-dimensional NMR studies of squash family inhibitors. Sequence-specific proton assignments and secondary structure of reactive-site hydrolyzed Cucurbita maxima trypsin inhibitor III

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krisnamoorthi, R.; Yuxi Gong; Chanlan Sun Lin (Kansas State Univ., Manhattan (United States)); VanderVelde, D. (Univ. of Kansas, Lawrence (United States))

1992-01-28

The solution structure of reactive-site hydrolyzed Cucurbita maxima trypsin inhibitor III (CMTI-III*) was investigated by two-dimensional proton nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR) spectroscopy. CMTI-III*, prepared by reacting CMTI-III with trypsin which cleaved the Arg5-Ile6 peptide bond, had the two fragments held together by a disulfide linkage. Sequence-specific {sup 1}H NMR resonance assignments were made for all the 29 amino acid residues of the protein. The secondary structure of CMTI-III*, as deduced from NOESY cross peaks and identification of slowly exchanging hydrogens, contains two turns, a 3{sub 10}-helix, and a triple-stranded {beta}-sheet. Sequential proton assignments were also made for the virgin inhibitor, CMTI-III, at pH 4.71, 30C. Comparison of backbone hydrogen chemical shifts of CMTI-III and CMTI-III* revealed significant changes for residues located far away from the reactive-site region as well as for those located near it, indicating tertiary structural changes that are transmitted through most of the 29 residues of the inhibitor protein. These chemical shift changes were relatively small compared to changes that occurred upon hydrolysis of the reactive-site peptide bond between Arg 5 and Ile6 in CMTI-III.

Extraction and identification of α-amylase inhibitor peptides from Nephelium lappacheum and Nephelium mutabile seed protein using gastro-digestive enzymes.

Science.gov (United States)

Evaristus, Natashya Anak; Wan Abdullah, Wan Nadiah; Gan, Chee-Yuen

2018-04-01

The potential of N. lappacheum and N. mutabile seed as a source of α-amylase inhibitor peptides was explored based on the local traditional practice of using the seed. Different gastro-digestive enzymes (i.e. pepsin or chymotrypsin) or a sequential digestion were used to extract the peptides. The effects of digestion time and enzyme to substrate (E:S) ratio on the α-amylase inhibitory activity were investigated. Results showed that chymotrypsin was effective in producing the inhibitor peptides from rambutan seed protein at E:S ratio 1:20 for 1 h, whereas pepsin was more effective for pulasan seed protein under the same condition. A total of 20 and 31 novel inhibitor peptides were identified, respectively. These peptides could bind with the subsites of α-amylase (i.e. Trp58, Trp59, Tyr62, Asp96, Arg195, Asp197, Glu233, His299, Asp300, and His305) and formed a sliding barrier that preventing the formation of enzyme/substrate intermediate leading to lower α-amylase activity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Computational design of a PDZ domain peptide inhibitor that rescues CFTR activity.

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Kyle E Roberts

Full Text Available The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR is an epithelial chloride channel mutated in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF. The most prevalent CFTR mutation, ΔF508, blocks folding in the endoplasmic reticulum. Recent work has shown that some ΔF508-CFTR channel activity can be recovered by pharmaceutical modulators ("potentiators" and "correctors", but ΔF508-CFTR can still be rapidly degraded via a lysosomal pathway involving the CFTR-associated ligand (CAL, which binds CFTR via a PDZ interaction domain. We present a study that goes from theory, to new structure-based computational design algorithms, to computational predictions, to biochemical testing and ultimately to epithelial-cell validation of novel, effective CAL PDZ inhibitors (called "stabilizers" that rescue ΔF508-CFTR activity. To design the "stabilizers", we extended our structural ensemble-based computational protein redesign algorithm K* to encompass protein-protein and protein-peptide interactions. The computational predictions achieved high accuracy: all of the top-predicted peptide inhibitors bound well to CAL. Furthermore, when compared to state-of-the-art CAL inhibitors, our design methodology achieved higher affinity and increased binding efficiency. The designed inhibitor with the highest affinity for CAL (kCAL01 binds six-fold more tightly than the previous best hexamer (iCAL35, and 170-fold more tightly than the CFTR C-terminus. We show that kCAL01 has physiological activity and can rescue chloride efflux in CF patient-derived airway epithelial cells. Since stabilizers address a different cellular CF defect from potentiators and correctors, our inhibitors provide an additional therapeutic pathway that can be used in conjunction with current methods.

Grb7 SH2 domain structure and interactions with a cyclic peptide inhibitor of cancer cell migration and proliferation

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Pero Stephanie C

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Human growth factor receptor bound protein 7 (Grb7 is an adapter protein that mediates the coupling of tyrosine kinases with their downstream signaling pathways. Grb7 is frequently overexpressed in invasive and metastatic human cancers and is implicated in cancer progression via its interaction with the ErbB2 receptor and focal adhesion kinase (FAK that play critical roles in cell proliferation and migration. It is thus a prime target for the development of novel anti-cancer therapies. Recently, an inhibitory peptide (G7-18NATE has been developed which binds specifically to the Grb7 SH2 domain and is able to attenuate cancer cell proliferation and migration in various cancer cell lines. Results As a first step towards understanding how Grb7 may be inhibited by G7-18NATE, we solved the crystal structure of the Grb7 SH2 domain to 2.1 Å resolution. We describe the details of the peptide binding site underlying target specificity, as well as the dimer interface of Grb 7 SH2. Dimer formation of Grb7 was determined to be in the μM range using analytical ultracentrifugation for both full-length Grb7 and the SH2 domain alone, suggesting the SH2 domain forms the basis of a physiological dimer. ITC measurements of the interaction of the G7-18NATE peptide with the Grb7 SH2 domain revealed that it binds with a binding affinity of Kd = ~35.7 μM and NMR spectroscopy titration experiments revealed that peptide binding causes perturbations to both the ligand binding surface of the Grb7 SH2 domain as well as to the dimer interface, suggesting that dimerisation of Grb7 is impacted on by peptide binding. Conclusion Together the data allow us to propose a model of the Grb7 SH2 domain/G7-18NATE interaction and to rationalize the basis for the observed binding specificity and affinity. We propose that the current study will assist with the development of second generation Grb7 SH2 domain inhibitors, potentially leading to novel inhibitors of

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of a Chitobiose-Based Peptide N-Glycanase Inhibitor Library

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Witte, Martin D.; Horst, Danielle; Wiertz, Emmanuel J.H.J.; Marel, Gijsbert A. van der; Overkleeft, Herman S.

2009-01-01

Peptide N-glycanase (PNGase), the enzyme responsible for the deglycosylation of N-linked glycoproteins, has an active site related to that of cysteine proteases. Chitiobiose was equipped with electrophilic traps often used in cysteine protease inhibitors, and the resulting compounds were evaluated

A novel method for screening the glutathione transferase inhibitors

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Węgrzyn Grzegorz

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Glutathione transferases (GSTs belong to the family of Phase II detoxification enzymes. GSTs catalyze the conjugation of glutathione to different endogenous and exogenous electrophilic compounds. Over-expression of GSTs was demonstrated in a number of different human cancer cells. It has been found that the resistance to many anticancer chemotherapeutics is directly correlated with the over-expression of GSTs. Therefore, it appears to be important to find new GST inhibitors to prevent the resistance of cells to anticancer drugs. In order to search for glutathione transferase (GST inhibitors, a novel method was designed. Results Our results showed that two fragments of GST, named F1 peptide (GYWKIKGLV and F2 peptide (KWRNKKFELGLEFPNL, can significantly inhibit the GST activity. When these two fragments were compared with several known potent GST inhibitors, the order of inhibition efficiency (measured in reactions with 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (CDNB and glutathione as substrates was determined as follows: tannic acid > cibacron blue > F2 peptide > hematin > F1 peptide > ethacrynic acid. Moreover, the F1 peptide appeared to be a noncompetitive inhibitor of the GST-catalyzed reaction, while the F2 peptide was determined as a competitive inhibitor of this reaction. Conclusion It appears that the F2 peptide can be used as a new potent specific GST inhibitor. It is proposed that the novel method, described in this report, might be useful for screening the inhibitors of not only GST but also other enzymes.

Screening and Identification of Peptides Specifically Targeted to Gastric Cancer Cells from a Phage Display Peptide Library

Science.gov (United States)

Sahin, Deniz; Taflan, Sevket Onur; Yartas, Gizem; Ashktorab, Hassan; Smoot, Duane T

2018-04-25

Background: Gastric cancer is the second most common cancer among the malign cancer types. Inefficiency of traditional techniques both in diagnosis and therapy of the disease makes the development of alternative and novel techniques indispensable. As an alternative to traditional methods, tumor specific targeting small peptides can be used to increase the efficiency of the treatment and reduce the side effects related to traditional techniques. The aim of this study is screening and identification of individual peptides specifically targeted to human gastric cancer cells using a phage-displayed peptide library and designing specific peptide sequences by using experimentally-eluted peptide sequences. Methods: Here, MKN-45 human gastric cancer cells and HFE-145 human normal gastric epithelial cells were used as the target and control cells, respectively. 5 rounds of biopannning with a phage display 12-peptide library were applied following subtraction biopanning with HFE-145 control cells. The selected phage clones were established by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence detection. We first obtain random phage clones after five biopanning rounds, determine the binding levels of each individual clone. Then, we analyze the frequencies of each amino acid in best binding clones to determine positively overexpressed amino acids for designing novel peptide sequences. Results: DE532 (VETSQYFRGTLS) phage clone was screened positive, showing specific binding on MKN-45 gastric cancer cells. DE-Obs (HNDLFPSWYHNY) peptide, which was designed by using amino acid frequencies of experimentally selected peptides in the 5th round of biopanning, showed specific binding in MKN-45 cells. Conclusion: Selection and characterization of individual clones may give us specifically binding peptides, but more importantly, data extracted from eluted phage clones may be used to design theoretical peptides with better binding properties than even experimentally selected ones

Bacillus subtilis RapA phosphatase domain interaction with its substrate, phosphorylated Spo0F, and its inhibitor, the PhrA peptide.

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz, Alejandra R; Core, Leighton J; Jiang, Min; Morelli, Michela; Chiang, Christina H; Szurmant, Hendrik; Perego, Marta

2012-03-01

Rap proteins in Bacillus subtilis regulate the phosphorylation level or the DNA-binding activity of response regulators such as Spo0F, involved in sporulation initiation, or ComA, regulating competence development. Rap proteins can be inhibited by specific peptides generated by the export-import processing pathway of the Phr proteins. Rap proteins have a modular organization comprising an amino-terminal alpha-helical domain connected to a domain formed by six tetratricopeptide repeats (TPR). In this study, the molecular basis for the specificity of the RapA phosphatase for its substrate, phosphorylated Spo0F (Spo0F∼P), and its inhibitor pentapeptide, PhrA, was analyzed in part by generating chimeric proteins with RapC, which targets the DNA-binding domain of ComA, rather than Spo0F∼P, and is inhibited by the PhrC pentapeptide. In vivo analysis of sporulation efficiency or competence-induced gene expression, as well as in vitro biochemical assays, allowed the identification of the amino-terminal 60 amino acids as sufficient to determine Rap specificity for its substrate and the central TPR3 to TPR5 (TPR3-5) repeats as providing binding specificity toward the Phr peptide inhibitor. The results allowed the prediction and testing of key residues in RapA that are essential for PhrA binding and specificity, thus demonstrating how the widespread structural fold of the TPR is highly versatile, using a common interaction mechanism for a variety of functions in eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms.

Design and characterization of hirulogs: A novel class of bivalent peptide inhibitors of thrombin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maraganore, J.M.; Bourdon, P.; Jablonski, J.; Ramachandran, K.L. (Biogen, Inc., Cambridge, MA (USA)); Fenton, J.W. II (New York State Department of Health, Albany (USA))

1990-07-31

A novel class of synthetic peptides has been designed that inhibit the thrombin catalytic site and exhibit specificity for the anion-binding exosite (ABE) of {alpha}-thrombin. These peptides, called hirulogs, consist of (i) an active-site specificity sequence with a restricted Arg-Pro scissile bond, (ii) a polymeric linker of glycyl residues from 6 to 18 {angstrom} in length, and (iii) an ABE recognition sequence such as that in the hirudin C-terminus. Hirulog-1 ((D-Phe)-Pro-Arg-Pro-(Gly){sub 4}-Asn-Gly-Asp-Phe-Glu-Glu-Ile-Pro-Glu-Tyr-Leu) inhibits the thrombin-catalyzed hydrolysis of a tripeptide p-nitroanilide substrate with K{sub i} = 2.3 nM. In contrast, the synthetic C-terminal hirudin peptide S-Hir{sub 53-64}, which binds to the thrombin ABE, blocked the fibrinogen clotting activity of the enzyme with K{sub i} = 144 nM but failed to inhibit the hydrolysis of p-nitroanilide substrates at concentrations as high as 1 mM. Hirulog-1, but not S-Hir{sub 53-64}, was found to inhibit the incorporation of ({sup 14}C)diisopropyl fluorophosphate in thrombin. Hirulog-1 appears specific for thrombin as it lacks inhibitory activities toward human factor Xa, human plasmin, and bovine trypsin at inhibitor:enzyme concentrations 3 orders of magnitude higher than those required to inhibit thrombin. The optimal inhibitory activity of hirulog-1 depends upon all three components of its structure. Comparison of anticoagulant activities of hirulog-1, hirudin, and S-Hir{sub 53-64} showed that the synthetic hirulog-1 is 2-fold more potent than hirudin and 100-fold more active than S-Hir{sub 53-64} in increasing the activated partial thromboplastin time of normal human plasma.

Peptide binding specificity of the chaperone calreticulin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sandhu, N.; Duus, K.; Jorgensen, C.S.

2007-01-01

Calreticulin is a molecular chaperone with specificity for polypeptides and N-linked monoglucosylated glycans. In order to determine the specificity of polypeptide binding, the interaction of calreticulin with polypeptides was investigated using synthetic peptides of different length and composit......Calreticulin is a molecular chaperone with specificity for polypeptides and N-linked monoglucosylated glycans. In order to determine the specificity of polypeptide binding, the interaction of calreticulin with polypeptides was investigated using synthetic peptides of different length...... than 5 amino acids showed binding and a clear correlation with hydrophobicity was demonstrated for oligomers of different hydrophobic amino acids. Insertion of hydrophilic amino acids in a hydrophobic sequence diminished or abolished binding. In conclusion our results show that calreticulin has...

Dual function of a bee (Apis cerana) inhibitor cysteine knot peptide that acts as an antifungal peptide and insecticidal venom toxin.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hee Geun; Kyung, Seung Su; Lee, Kwang Sik; Kim, Bo Yeon; Choi, Yong Soo; Yoon, Hyung Joo; Kwon, Hyung Wook; Je, Yeon Ho; Jin, Byung Rae

2014-12-01

Inhibitor cysteine knot (ICK) peptides exhibit ion channel blocking, insecticidal, and antimicrobial activities, but currently, no functional roles for bee-derived ICK peptides have been identified. In this study, a bee (Apis cerana) ICK peptide (AcICK) that acts as an antifungal peptide and as an insecticidal venom toxin was identified. AcICK contains an ICK fold that is expressed in the epidermis, fat body, or venom gland and is present as a 6.6-kDa peptide in bee venom. Recombinant AcICK peptide (expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells) bound directly to Beauveria bassiana and Fusarium graminearum, but not to Escherichia coli or Bacillus thuringiensis. Consistent with these findings, AcICK showed antifungal activity, indicating that AcICK acts as an antifungal peptide. Furthermore, AcICK expression is induced in the fat body and epidermis after injection with B. bassiana. These results provide insight into the role of AcICK during the innate immune response following fungal infection. Additionally, we show that AcICK has insecticidal activity. Our results demonstrate a functional role for AcICK in bees: AcICK acts as an antifungal peptide in innate immune reactions in the body and as an insecticidal toxin in venom. The finding that the AcICK peptide functions with different mechanisms of action in the body and in venom highlights the two-pronged strategy that is possible with the bee ICK peptide. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cleavage specificity analysis of six type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs using PICS with proteome-derived peptide libraries.

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Olivier Barré

Full Text Available Type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs are a family of cell membrane tethered serine proteases with unclear roles as their cleavage site specificities and substrate degradomes have not been fully elucidated. Indeed just 52 cleavage sites are annotated in MEROPS, the database of proteases, their substrates and inhibitors.To profile the active site specificities of the TTSPs, we applied Proteomic Identification of protease Cleavage Sites (PICS. Human proteome-derived database searchable peptide libraries were assayed with six human TTSPs (matriptase, matriptase-2, matriptase-3, HAT, DESC and hepsin to simultaneously determine sequence preferences on the N-terminal non-prime (P and C-terminal prime (P' sides of the scissile bond. Prime-side cleavage products were isolated following biotinylation and identified by tandem mass spectrometry. The corresponding non-prime side sequences were derived from human proteome databases using bioinformatics. Sequencing of 2,405 individual cleaved peptides allowed for the development of the family consensus protease cleavage site specificity revealing a strong specificity for arginine in the P1 position and surprisingly a lysine in P1' position. TTSP cleavage between R↓K was confirmed using synthetic peptides. By parsing through known substrates and known structures of TTSP catalytic domains, and by modeling the remainder, structural explanations for this strong specificity were derived.Degradomics analysis of 2,405 cleavage sites revealed a similar and characteristic TTSP family specificity at the P1 and P1' positions for arginine and lysine in unfolded peptides. The prime side is important for cleavage specificity, thus making these proteases unusual within the tryptic-enzyme class that generally has overriding non-prime side specificity.

A novel affinity purification method to isolate peptide specific antibodies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karlsen, Alan E; Lernmark, A; Kofod, Hans

1990-01-01

Site-specific, high affinity polyclonal antisera are effectively and successfully produced by immunizing rabbits with synthetic peptides. The use of these antisera in subsequent immune analysis is often limited because of non-specific binding. We describe a new and simple method to effectively...... affinity-purify anti-peptide antibodies. To test our system, rabbits were immunized with model peptides representing sequences of the putative rabbit growth hormone receptor and several HLA-DQ beta-chain molecules. Polystyrene plastic beads were coated with peptides. Immune serum was incubated...... with the beads and after a wash step the bound antibodies were eluted in 1 M acetic acid. The eluted material was composed predominantly of intact immunoglobulin as evidenced by the presence of heavy and light chain bands in SDS-PAGE. The eluted antibodies were peptide specific in ELISA and bound only to intact...

Hydroxamic acid derivatives as potent peptide deformylase inhibitors and antibacterial agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Apfel, C; Banner, D W; Bur, D; Dietz, M; Hirata, T; Hubschwerlen, C; Locher, H; Page, M G; Pirson, W; Rossé, G; Specklin, J L

2000-06-15

Low-molecular-weight beta-sulfonyl- and beta-sulfinylhydroxamic acid derivatives have been synthesized and found to be potent inhibitors of Escherichia coli peptide deformylase (PDF). Most of the compounds synthesized and tested displayed antibacterial activities that cover several pathogens found in respiratory tract infections, including Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis. The potential of these compounds as antibacterial agents is discussed with respect to selectivity, intracellular concentrations in bacteria, and potential for resistance development.

Potentiation of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy by the PARP inhibitor olaparib

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J. Nonnekens (Julie); M. van Kranenburg (Melissa); C.E.M.T. Beerens (Cecile); M. Suker (Mustafa); M. Doukas (Michael); C.H.J. van Eijck (Casper); M. de Jong (Marcel); D.C. van Gent (Dik)

2016-01-01

textabstractMetastases expressing tumor-specific receptors can be targeted and treated by binding of radiolabeled peptides (peptide receptor radionuclide therapy or PRRT). For example, patients with metastasized somatostatin receptor-positive neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) can be treated with

Pre-equilibrium competitive library screening for tuning inhibitor association rate and specificity toward serine proteases.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Itay; Naftaly, Si; Ben-Zeev, Efrat; Hockla, Alexandra; Radisky, Evette S; Papo, Niv

2018-04-16

High structural and sequence similarity within protein families can pose significant challenges to the development of selective inhibitors, especially toward proteolytic enzymes. Such enzymes usually belong to large families of closely similar proteases and may also hydrolyze, with different rates, protein- or peptide-based inhibitors. To address this challenge, we employed a combinatorial yeast surface display library approach complemented with a novel pre-equilibrium, competitive screening strategy for facile assessment of the effects of multiple mutations on inhibitor association rates and binding specificity. As a proof of principle for this combined approach, we utilized this strategy to alter inhibitor/protease association rates and to tailor the selectivity of the amyloid β-protein precursor Kunitz protease inhibitor domain (APPI) for inhibition of the oncogenic protease mesotrypsin, in the presence of three competing serine proteases, anionic trypsin, cationic trypsin and kallikrein-6. We generated a variant, designated APPI P13W/M17G/I18F/F34V , with up to 30-fold greater specificity relative to the parental APPI M17G/I18F/F34V protein, and 6500- to 230 000-fold improved specificity relative to the wild-type APPI protein in the presence of the other proteases tested. A series of molecular docking simulations suggested a mechanism of interaction that supported the biochemical results. These simulations predicted that the selectivity and specificity are affected by the interaction of the mutated APPI residues with nonconserved enzyme residues located in or near the binding site. Our strategy will facilitate a better understanding of the binding landscape of multispecific proteins and will pave the way for design of new drugs and diagnostic tools targeting proteases and other proteins. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 7-36 amide and peptide YY from the L-cell of the ileal mucosa are potent inhibitors of vagally induced gastric acid secretion in man

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wettergren, A; Petersen, H; Orskov, C

1994-01-01

BACKGROUND: Glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) 7-36 amide and peptide YY (PYY) from the L-cell of the ileal mucosa are potent inhibitors of gastric acid secretion in man. It is not clear, however, by which mechanism(s) they inhibit acid secretion. In dogs the inhibitory effect of PYY on acid secretion...

C-terminal peptides of tissue factor pathway inhibitor are novel host defense molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Papareddy, Praveen; Kalle, Martina; Kasetty, Gopinath; Mörgelin, Matthias; Rydengård, Victoria; Albiger, Barbara; Lundqvist, Katarina; Malmsten, Martin; Schmidtchen, Artur

2010-09-03

Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) inhibits tissue factor-induced coagulation, but may, via its C terminus, also modulate cell surface, heparin, and lipopolysaccharide interactions as well as participate in growth inhibition. Here we show that C-terminal TFPI peptide sequences are antimicrobial against the gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as the fungi Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis. Fluorescence studies of peptide-treated bacteria, paired with analysis of peptide effects on liposomes, showed that the peptides exerted membrane-breaking effects similar to those seen for the "classic" human antimicrobial peptide LL-37. The killing of E. coli, but not P. aeruginosa, by the C-terminal peptide GGLIKTKRKRKKQRVKIAYEEIFVKNM (GGL27), was enhanced in human plasma and largely abolished in heat-inactivated plasma, a phenomenon linked to generation of antimicrobial C3a and activation of the classic pathway of complement activation. Furthermore, GGL27 displayed anti-endotoxic effects in vitro and in vivo in a mouse model of LPS shock. Importantly, TFPI was found to be expressed in the basal layers of normal epidermis, and was markedly up-regulated in acute skin wounds as well as wound edges of chronic leg ulcers. Furthermore, C-terminal fragments of TFPI were associated with bacteria present in human chronic leg ulcers. These findings suggest a new role for TFPI in cutaneous defense against infections.

Incretin-based treatment of type 2 diabetes: glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deacon, Carolyn F

2007-01-01

Incretins are gut peptides that potentiate nutrient-stimulated insulin secretion following meal ingestion. Activities of the dominant incretins, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide, include glucose-dependent stimulation of insulin secretion and, in preclin...... and liraglutide) and DPP-4 inhibitors that act to increase concentrations of endogenous intact incretins (e.g. sitagliptin and vildagliptin). Clinical trials of these incretin-based therapies have shown them to be effective in improving glycaemic control in patients with T2DM....

Cytological profile of antibacterial FtsZ inhibitors and synthetic peptide MciZ

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Lidia Araujo-Bazan

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Cell division protein FtsZ is the organizer of the cytokinetic ring in almost all bacteria and a target for the discovery of new antibacterial agents that are needed to counter widespread antibiotic resistance. Bacterial cytological profiling, using quantitative microscopy, is a powerful approach for identifying the mechanism of action of antibacterial molecules affecting different cellular pathways. We have determined the cytological profile on Bacillus subtilis cells of a selection of small molecule inhibitors targeting FtsZ on different binding sites. FtsZ inhibitors lead to long undivided cells, impair the normal assembly of FtsZ into the midcell Z-rings, induce aberrant ring distributions, punctate FtsZ foci, membrane spots and also modify nucleoid length. Quantitative analysis of cell and nucleoid length combined, or the Z-ring distribution, allows categorizing FtsZ inhibitors and to distinguish them from antibiotics with other mechanisms of action, which should be useful for identifying new antibacterial FtsZ inhibitors. Biochemical assays of FtsZ polymerization and GTPase activity combined explain the cellular effects of the FtsZ polymer stabilizing agent PC190723 and its fragments. MciZ is a 40-aminoacid endogenous inhibitor of cell division normally expressed during sporulation in B. subtilis. Using FtsZ cytological profiling we have determined that exogenous synthetic MciZ is an effective inhibitor of B. subtilis cell division, Z-ring formation and localization. This finding supports our cell-based approach to screen for FtsZ inhibitors and opens new possibilities for peptide inhibitors of bacterial cell division.

A phage display selected 7-mer peptide inhibitor of the Tannerella forsythia metalloprotease-like enzyme Karilysin can be truncated to Ser-Trp-Phe-Pro.

Science.gov (United States)

Skottrup, Peter Durand; Sørensen, Grete; Ksiazek, Miroslaw; Potempa, Jan; Riise, Erik

2012-01-01

Tannerella forsythia is a gram-negative bacteria, which is strongly associated with the development of periodontal disease. Karilysin is a newly identified metalloprotease-like enzyme, that is secreted from T. forsythia. Karilysin modulates the host immune response and is therefore considered a likely drug target. In this study peptides were selected towards the catalytic domain from Karilysin (Kly18) by phage display. The peptides were linear with low micromolar binding affinities. The two best binders (peptide14 and peptide15), shared the consensus sequence XWFPXXXGGG. A peptide15 fusion with Maltose Binding protein (MBP) was produced with peptide15 fused to the N-terminus of MBP. The peptide15-MBP was expressed in E. coli and the purified fusion-protein was used to verify Kly18 specific binding. Chemically synthesised peptide15 (SWFPLRSGGG) could inhibit the enzymatic activity of both Kly18 and intact Karilysin (Kly48). Furthermore, peptide15 could slow down the autoprocessing of intact Kly48 to Kly18. The WFP motif was important for inhibition and a truncation study further demonstrated that the N-terminal serine was also essential for Kly18 inhibition. The SWFP peptide had a Ki value in the low micromolar range, which was similar to the intact peptide15. In conclusion SWFP is the first reported inhibitor of Karilysin and can be used as a valuable tool in structure-function studies of Karilysin.

Alterations in brain Protein Kinase A activity and reversal of morphine tolerance by two fragments of native Protein Kinase A inhibitor peptide (PKI).

Science.gov (United States)

Dalton, George D; Smith, Forrest L; Smith, Paul A; Dewey, William L

2005-04-01

Two peptide fragments of native Protein Kinase A inhibitor (PKI), PKI-(6-22)-amide and PKI-(Myr-14-22)-amide, significantly reversed low-level morphine antinociceptive tolerance in mice. The inhibition of Protein Kinase A (PKA) activity by both peptide fragments was then measured in specific brain regions (thalamus, periaqueductal gray (PAG), and medulla) and in lumbar spinal cord (LSC), which in previous studies have been shown to play a role in morphine-induced analgesia. In drug naive animals, cytosolic PKA activity was greater than particulate PKA activity in each region, while cytosolic and particulate PKA activities were greater in thalamus and PAG compared to medulla and LSC. The addition of both peptides to homogenates from each region completely abolished cytosolic and particulate PKA activities in vitro. Following injection into the lateral ventricle of the brain of drug naive mice and morphine-tolerant mice, both peptides inhibited PKA activity in the cytosolic, but not the particulate fraction of LSC. In addition, cytosolic and particulate PKA activities were inhibited by both peptides in thalamus. These results demonstrate that the inhibition of PKA reverses morphine tolerance. Moreover, the inhibition of PKA activity in specific brain regions and LSC from morphine-tolerant mice by PKI analogs administered i.c.v. is evidence that PKA plays a role in morphine tolerance.

Fusion peptides from oncogenic chimeric proteins as putative specific biomarkers of cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Conlon, Kevin P; Basrur, Venkatesha; Rolland, Delphine; Wolfe, Thomas; Nesvizhskii, Alexey I; MacCoss, Michael J; Lim, Megan S; Elenitoba-Johnson, Kojo S J

2013-10-01

Chromosomal translocations encoding chimeric fusion proteins constitute one of the most common mechanisms underlying oncogenic transformation in human cancer. Fusion peptides resulting from such oncogenic chimeric fusions, though unique to specific cancer subtypes, are unexplored as cancer biomarkers. Here we show, using an approach termed fusion peptide multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry, the direct identification of different cancer-specific fusion peptides arising from protein chimeras that are generated from the juxtaposition of heterologous genes fused by recurrent chromosomal translocations. Using fusion peptide multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry in a clinically relevant scenario, we demonstrate the specific, sensitive, and unambiguous detection of a specific diagnostic fusion peptide in clinical samples of anaplastic large cell lymphoma, but not in a diverse array of benign lymph nodes or other forms of primary malignant lymphomas and cancer-derived cell lines. Our studies highlight the utility of fusion peptides as cancer biomarkers and carry broad implications for the use of protein biomarkers in cancer detection and monitoring.

Drug forecast - the peptide deformylase inhibitors as antibacterial agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Guay, David R P

2007-08-01

The relatively rapid development of microbial resistance after the entry of every new antimicrobial into the marketplace necessitates a constant supply of new agents to maintain effective pharmacotherapy. Despite extensive efforts to identify novel lead compounds from molecular targets, only the peptide deformylase inhibitors (PDIs) have shown any real promise, with some advancing to phase I human trials. Bacterial peptide deformylase, which catalyzes the removal of the N-formyl group from N-terminal methionine following translation, is essential for bacterial protein synthesis, growth, and survival. The majority of PDIs are pseudopeptide hydroxamic acids and two of these (IV BB-83698 and oral NVP LBM-415) entered phase I human trials. However, agents to the present have suffered from major potential liabilities. Their in vitro activity has been limited to gram-positive aerobes and some anaerobes and has been quite modest against the majority of such species (MIC(90) values ranging from 1-8 mg/L). They have exerted bacteriostatic, not bacteriocidal, activity, thus reducing their potential usefulness in the management of serious infections in the immunocompromised. The relative ease with which microorganisms have been able to develop resistance and the multiple available mechanisms of resistance (mutations in fmt, defB, folD genes; AcrAB/TolC efflux pump; overexpression of peptide deformylase) are worrisome. These could portend a short timespan of efficacy after marketing. Despite these current liabilities, further pursuit of more potent and broader spectrum PDIs which are less susceptible to bacterial mechanisms of resistance is still warranted.

Molecular Docking Simulation of Neuraminidase Influenza A Subtype H1N1 with Potential Inhibitor of Disulfide Cyclic Peptide (DNY, NNY, LRL)

Science.gov (United States)

Putra, R. P.; Imaniastuti, R.; Nasution, M. A. F.; Kerami, Djati; Tambunan, U. S. F.

2018-04-01

Oseltamivir resistance as an inhibitor of neuraminidase influenza A virus subtype H1N1 has been reported lately. Therefore, to solve this problem, several kinds of research has been conducted to design and discover disulfide cyclic peptide ligands through molecular docking method, to find the potential inhibitors for neuraminidase H1N1 which then can disturb the virus replication. This research was studied and evaluated the interaction of ligands toward enzyme using molecular docking simulation, which was performed on three disulfide cyclic peptide inhibitors (DNY, LRL, and NNT), along with oseltamivir and zanamivir as the standard ligands using MOE 2008.10 software. The docking simulation shows that all disulfide cyclic peptide ligands have lower Gibbs free binding energies (ΔGbinding) than the standard ligands, with DNY ligand has the lowest ΔGbinding at -7.8544 kcal/mol. Furthermore, these ligands were also had better molecular interactions with neuraminidase than the standards, owing by the hydrogen bonds that were formed during the docking simulation. In the end, we concluded that DNY, LRL and NNT ligands have the potential to be developed as the inhibitor of neuraminidase H1N1.

A phage display selected 7-mer peptide inhibitor of the Tannerella forsythia metalloprotease-like enzyme Karilysin can be truncated to Ser-Trp-Phe-Pro.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Durand Skottrup

Full Text Available Tannerella forsythia is a gram-negative bacteria, which is strongly associated with the development of periodontal disease. Karilysin is a newly identified metalloprotease-like enzyme, that is secreted from T. forsythia. Karilysin modulates the host immune response and is therefore considered a likely drug target. In this study peptides were selected towards the catalytic domain from Karilysin (Kly18 by phage display. The peptides were linear with low micromolar binding affinities. The two best binders (peptide14 and peptide15, shared the consensus sequence XWFPXXXGGG. A peptide15 fusion with Maltose Binding protein (MBP was produced with peptide15 fused to the N-terminus of MBP. The peptide15-MBP was expressed in E. coli and the purified fusion-protein was used to verify Kly18 specific binding. Chemically synthesised peptide15 (SWFPLRSGGG could inhibit the enzymatic activity of both Kly18 and intact Karilysin (Kly48. Furthermore, peptide15 could slow down the autoprocessing of intact Kly48 to Kly18. The WFP motif was important for inhibition and a truncation study further demonstrated that the N-terminal serine was also essential for Kly18 inhibition. The SWFP peptide had a Ki value in the low micromolar range, which was similar to the intact peptide15. In conclusion SWFP is the first reported inhibitor of Karilysin and can be used as a valuable tool in structure-function studies of Karilysin.

Uncovering the Peptide-Binding Specificities of HLA-C: A General Strategy To Determine the Specificity of Any MHC Class I Molecule

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Michael; Harndahl, Mikkel; Stryhn, Anette

2014-01-01

MHC class I molecules (HLA-I in humans) present peptides derived from endogenous proteins to CTLs. Whereas the peptide-binding specificities of HLA-A and -B molecules have been studied extensively, little is known about HLA-C specificities. Combining a positional scanning combinatorial peptide...... library approach with a peptide-HLA-I dissociation assay, in this study we present a general strategy to determine the peptide-binding specificity of any MHC class I molecule. We applied this novel strategy to 17 of the most common HLA-C molecules, and for 16 of these we successfully generated matrices...... representing their peptide-binding motifs. The motifs prominently shared a conserved C-terminal primary anchor with hydrophobic amino acid residues, as well as one or more diverse primary and auxiliary anchors at P1, P2, P3, and/or P7. Matrices were used to generate a large panel of HLA-C-specific peptide...

Insight into the Selectivity of the G7-18NATE Inhibitor Peptide for the Grb7-SH2 Domain Target.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Gabrielle M; Lucas, William A H; Gunzburg, Menachem J; Wilce, Jacqueline A

2017-01-01

Growth factor receptor bound protein 7 (Grb7) is an adaptor protein with established roles in the progression of both breast and pancreatic cancers. Through its C-terminal SH2 domain, Grb7 binds to phosphorylated tyrosine kinases to promote proliferative and migratory signaling. Here, we investigated the molecular basis for the specificity of a Grb7 SH2-domain targeted peptide inhibitor. We identified that arginine 462 in the BC loop is unique to Grb7 compared to Grb2, another SH2 domain bearing protein that shares the same consensus binding motif as Grb7. Using surface plasmon resonance we demonstrated that Grb7-SH2 binding to G7-18NATE is reduced 3.3-fold when the arginine is mutated to the corresponding Grb2 amino acid. The reverse mutation in Grb2-SH2 (serine to arginine), however, was insufficient to restore binding of G7-18NATE to Grb2-SH2. Further, using a microarray, we confirmed that G7-18NATE is specific for Grb7 over a panel of 79 SH2 domains, and identified that leucine at the βD6 position may also be a requirement for Grb7-SH2 binding. This study provides insight into the specificity defining features of Grb7 for the inhibitor molecule G7-18NATE, that will assist in the development of improved Grb7 targeted inhibitors.

Insight into the Selectivity of the G7-18NATE Inhibitor Peptide for the Grb7-SH2 Domain Target

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabrielle M. Watson

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Growth factor receptor bound protein 7 (Grb7 is an adaptor protein with established roles in the progression of both breast and pancreatic cancers. Through its C-terminal SH2 domain, Grb7 binds to phosphorylated tyrosine kinases to promote proliferative and migratory signaling. Here, we investigated the molecular basis for the specificity of a Grb7 SH2-domain targeted peptide inhibitor. We identified that arginine 462 in the BC loop is unique to Grb7 compared to Grb2, another SH2 domain bearing protein that shares the same consensus binding motif as Grb7. Using surface plasmon resonance we demonstrated that Grb7-SH2 binding to G7-18NATE is reduced 3.3-fold when the arginine is mutated to the corresponding Grb2 amino acid. The reverse mutation in Grb2-SH2 (serine to arginine, however, was insufficient to restore binding of G7-18NATE to Grb2-SH2. Further, using a microarray, we confirmed that G7-18NATE is specific for Grb7 over a panel of 79 SH2 domains, and identified that leucine at the βD6 position may also be a requirement for Grb7-SH2 binding. This study provides insight into the specificity defining features of Grb7 for the inhibitor molecule G7-18NATE, that will assist in the development of improved Grb7 targeted inhibitors.

Insight into the Selectivity of the G7-18NATE Inhibitor Peptide for the Grb7-SH2 Domain Target

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Gabrielle M.; Lucas, William A. H.; Gunzburg, Menachem J.; Wilce, Jacqueline A.

2017-01-01

Growth factor receptor bound protein 7 (Grb7) is an adaptor protein with established roles in the progression of both breast and pancreatic cancers. Through its C-terminal SH2 domain, Grb7 binds to phosphorylated tyrosine kinases to promote proliferative and migratory signaling. Here, we investigated the molecular basis for the specificity of a Grb7 SH2-domain targeted peptide inhibitor. We identified that arginine 462 in the BC loop is unique to Grb7 compared to Grb2, another SH2 domain bearing protein that shares the same consensus binding motif as Grb7. Using surface plasmon resonance we demonstrated that Grb7-SH2 binding to G7-18NATE is reduced 3.3-fold when the arginine is mutated to the corresponding Grb2 amino acid. The reverse mutation in Grb2-SH2 (serine to arginine), however, was insufficient to restore binding of G7-18NATE to Grb2-SH2. Further, using a microarray, we confirmed that G7-18NATE is specific for Grb7 over a panel of 79 SH2 domains, and identified that leucine at the βD6 position may also be a requirement for Grb7-SH2 binding. This study provides insight into the specificity defining features of Grb7 for the inhibitor molecule G7-18NATE, that will assist in the development of improved Grb7 targeted inhibitors. PMID:29018805

Penetration of polymeric nanoparticles loaded with an HIV-1 inhibitor peptide derived from GB virus C in a vaginal mucosa model.

Science.gov (United States)

Ariza-Sáenz, Martha; Espina, Marta; Bolaños, Nuria; Calpena, Ana Cristina; Gomara, María José; Haro, Isabel; García, María Luisa

2017-11-01

Despite the great effort to decrease the HIV infectivity rate, current antiretroviral therapy has several weaknesses; poor bioavailability, development of drug resistance and poor ability to access tissues. However, molecules such as peptides have emerged asa new expectative to HIV eradication. The vaginal mucosa is the main spreading point of HIV. There are natural barriers such as the vaginal fluid which protects the vaginal epithelium from any foreign agents reaching it. This work has developed and characterized Nanoparticles (NPs) coated with glycol chitosan (GC), loaded with an HIV-1 inhibitor peptide (E2). In vitro release and ex vivo studies were carried out using the vaginal mucosa of swine and the peptide was determined by HPLC MS/MS validated method. Moreover, the peptide was labeled with 5(6)-carboxyfluoresceine and entrapped into the NPs to carried out in vivo studies and to evaluate the NPs penetration and toxicity in the vaginal mucosa of the swine. The mean size of the NPs, ξ and the loading percentage were fundamental features for to reach the vaginal tissue and to release the peptide within intercellular space. The obtained results suggesting that the fusion inhibitor peptides loaded into the NPs coated with GC might be a new way to fight the HIV-1, due to the formulation might reach the human epithelial mucosa and release peptide without any side effects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Designing peptide inhibitor of insulin receptor to induce diabetes mellitus type 2 in animal model Mus musculus.

Science.gov (United States)

Permatasari, Galuh W; Utomo, Didik H; Widodo

2016-10-01

A designing peptide as agent for inducing diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) in an animal model is challenging. The computational approach provides a sophisticated tool to design a functional peptide that may block the insulin receptor activity. The peptide that able to inhibit the binding between insulin and insulin receptor is a warrant for inducing T2DM. Therefore, we designed a potential peptide inhibitor of insulin receptor as an agent to generate T2DM animal model by bioinformatics approach. The peptide has been developed based on the structure of insulin receptor binding site of insulin and then modified it to obtain the best properties of half life, hydrophobicity, antigenicity, and stability binding into insulin receptor. The results showed that the modified peptide has characteristics 100h half-life, high-affinity -95.1±20, and high stability 28.17 in complex with the insulin receptor. Moreover, the modified peptide has molecular weight 4420.8g/Mol and has no antigenic regions. Based on the molecular dynamic simulation, the complex of modified peptide-insulin receptor is more stable than the commercial insulin receptor blocker. This study suggested that the modified peptide has the promising performance to block the insulin receptor activity that potentially induce diabetes mellitus type 2 in mice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Epoxyethylglycyl peptides as inhibitors of oligosaccharyltransferase: double-labelling of the active site.

Science.gov (United States)

Bause, E; Wesemann, M; Bartoschek, A; Breuer, W

1997-02-15

Pig liver oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) is inactivated irreversibly by a hexapeptide in which threonine has been substituted by epoxyethylglycine in the Asn-Xaa-Thr glycosylation triplet. Incubation of the enzyme in the presence of Dol-PP-linked [14C]oligosaccharides and the N-3,5-dinitrobenzoylated epoxy derivative leads to the double-labelling of two subunits (48 and 66 kDa) of the oligomeric OST complex, both of which are involved in the catalytic activity. Labelling of both subunits was blocked competitively by the acceptor peptide N-benzoyl-Asu-Gly-Thr-NHCH3 and by the OST inhibitor N-benzoyl-alpha,gamma-diaminobutyric acid-Gly-Thr-NHCH3, but not by an analogue derived from the epoxy-inhibitor by replacing asparagine with glutamine. Our data clearly show that double-labelling is an active-site-directed modification, involving inhibitor glycosylation at asparagine and covalent attachment of the glycosylated inhibitor, via the epoxy group, to the enzyme. Double-labelling of OST can occur as the result of either a consecutive or a syn-catalytic reaction sequence. The latter mechanism, during the course of which OST catalyses its own 'suicide' inactivation, is more likely, as suggested by indirect experimental evidence. The syn-catalytic mechanism corresponds with our current view of the functional role of the acceptor site Thr/Ser acting as a hydrogen-bond acceptor, not a donor, during transglycosylation.

A small molecule inhibitor of signal peptide peptidase inhibits Plasmodium development in the liver and decreases malaria severity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iana Parvanova

Full Text Available The liver stage of Plasmodium's life cycle is the first, obligatory step in malaria infection. Decreasing the hepatic burden of Plasmodium infection decreases the severity of disease and constitutes a promising strategy for malaria prophylaxis. The efficacy of the gamma-secretase and signal peptide peptidase inhibitor LY411,575 in targeting Plasmodium liver stages was evaluated both in human hepatoma cell lines and in mouse primary hepatocytes. LY411,575 was found to prevent Plasmodium's normal development in the liver, with an IC(50 of approximately 80 nM, without affecting hepatocyte invasion by the parasite. In vivo results with a rodent model of malaria showed that LY411,575 decreases the parasite load in the liver and increases by 55% the resistance of mice to cerebral malaria, one of the most severe malaria-associated syndromes. Our data show that LY411,575 does not exert its effect via the Notch signaling pathway suggesting that it may interfere with Plasmodium development through an inhibition of the parasite's signal peptide peptidase. We therefore propose that selective signal peptide peptidase inhibitors could be potentially used for preventive treatment of malaria in humans.

Structure-Based Drug Design of Small Molecule Peptide Deformylase Inhibitors to Treat Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Gao

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Human peptide deformylase (HsPDF is an important target for anticancer drug discovery. In view of the limited HsPDF, inhibitors were reported, and high-throughput virtual screening (HTVS studies based on HsPDF for developing new PDF inhibitors remain to be reported. We reported here on diverse small molecule inhibitors with excellent anticancer activities designed based on HTVS and molecular docking studies using the crystal structure of HsPDF. The compound M7594_0037 exhibited potent anticancer activities against HeLa, A549 and MCF-7 cell lines with IC50s of 35.26, 29.63 and 24.63 μM, respectively. Molecular docking studies suggested that M7594_0037 and its three derivatives could interact with HsPDF by several conserved hydrogen bonds. Moreover, the pharmacokinetic and toxicity properties of M7594_0037 and its derivatives were predicted using the OSIRIS property explorer. Thus, M7594_0037 and its derivatives might represent a promising scaffold for the further development of novel anticancer drugs.

Affinity Purification and Comparative Biosensor Analysis of Citrulline-Peptide-Specific Antibodies in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Eszter Szarka

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background: In rheumatoid arthritis (RA, anti-citrullinated protein/peptide antibodies (ACPAs are responsible for disease onset and progression, however, our knowledge is limited on ligand binding affinities of autoantibodies with different citrulline-peptide specificity. Methods: Citrulline-peptide-specific ACPA IgGs were affinity purified and tested by ELISA. Binding affinities of ACPA IgGs and serum antibodies were compared by surface plasmon resonance (SPR analysis. Bifunctional nanoparticles harboring a multi-epitope citrulline-peptide and a complement-activating peptide were used to induce selective depletion of ACPA-producing B cells. Results: KD values of affinity-purified ACPA IgGs varied between 10−6 and 10−8 M and inversely correlated with disease activity. Based on their cross-reaction with citrulline-peptides, we designed a novel multi-epitope peptide, containing Cit-Gly and Ala-Cit motifs in two–two copies, separated with a short, neutral spacer. This peptide detected antibodies in RA sera with 66% sensitivity and 98% specificity in ELISA and was recognized by 90% of RA sera, while none of the healthy samples in SPR. When coupled to nanoparticles, the multi-epitope peptide specifically targeted and depleted ACPA-producing B cells ex vivo. Conclusions: The unique multi-epitope peptide designed based on ACPA cross-reactivity might be suitable to develop better diagnostics and novel therapies for RA.

Novel Peptide with Specific Calcium-Binding Capacity from Schizochytrium sp. Protein Hydrolysates and Calcium Bioavailability in Caco-2 Cells

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Xixi Cai

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Peptide-calcium can probably be a suitable supplement to improve calcium absorption in the human body. In this study, a specific peptide Phe-Tyr (FY with calcium-binding capacity was purified from Schizochytrium sp. protein hydrolysates through gel filtration chromatography and reversed phase HPLC. The calcium-binding capacity of FY reached 128.77 ± 2.57 μg/mg. Results of ultraviolet spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy showed that carboxyl groups, amino groups, and amido groups were the major chelating sites. FY-Ca exhibited excellent thermal stability and solubility, which were beneficial to be absorbed and transported in the basic intestinal tract of the human body. Moreover, the calcium bioavailability in Caco-2 cells showed that FY-Ca could enhance calcium uptake efficiency by more than three times when compared with CaCl2, and protect calcium ions against dietary inhibitors, such as tannic acid, oxalate, phytate, and Zn2+. Our findings further the progress of algae-based peptide-calcium, suggesting that FY-Ca has the potential to be developed as functionally nutraceutical additives.

Peptide ligands specific to the oxidized form of escherichia coli thioredoxin.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scholle, M. D.; Banach, B. S.; Hamdan, S. M.; Richardson, C. C.; Kay, B. K.; Biosciences Division; Amunix, Inc.; Univ. of Illinois at Chicago; Harvard Medical School

2008-11-01

Thioredoxin (Trx) is a highly conserved redox protein involved in several essential cellular processes. In this study, our goal was to isolate peptide ligands to Escherichia coli Trx that mimic protein-protein interactions, specifically the T7 polymerase-Trx interaction. To do this, we subjected Trx to affinity selection against a panel of linear and cysteine-constrained peptides using M13 phage display. A novel cyclized conserved peptide sequence, with a motif of C(D/N/S/T/G)D(S/T)-hydrophobic-C-X-hydrophobic-P, was isolated to Trx. These peptides bound specifically to the E. coli Trx when compared to the human and spirulina homologs. An alanine substitution of the active site cysteines (CGPC) resulted in a significant loss of peptide binding affinity to the Cys-32 mutant. The peptides were also characterized in the context of Trx's role as a processivity factor of the T7 DNA polymerase (gp5). As the interaction between gp5 and Trx normally takes place under reducing conditions, which might interfere with the conformation of the disulfide-bridged peptides, we made use of a 22 residue deletion mutant of gp5 in the thioredoxin binding domain (gp5{Delta}22) that bypassed the requirements of reducing conditions to interact with Trx. A competition study revealed that the peptide selectively inhibits the interaction of gp5{Delta}22 with Trx, under oxidizing conditions, with an IC50 of {approx} 10 {micro}M.

Structures of human Golgi-resident glutaminyl cyclase and its complexes with inhibitors reveal a large loop movement upon inhibitor binding.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Kai-Fa; Liaw, Su-Sen; Huang, Wei-Lin; Chia, Cho-Yun; Lo, Yan-Chung; Chen, Yi-Ling; Wang, Andrew H-J

2011-04-08

Aberrant pyroglutamate formation at the N terminus of certain peptides and proteins, catalyzed by glutaminyl cyclases (QCs), is linked to some pathological conditions, such as Alzheimer disease. Recently, a glutaminyl cyclase (QC) inhibitor, PBD150, was shown to be able to reduce the deposition of pyroglutamate-modified amyloid-β peptides in brain of transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer disease, leading to a significant improvement of learning and memory in those transgenic animals. Here, we report the 1.05-1.40 Å resolution structures, solved by the sulfur single-wavelength anomalous dispersion phasing method, of the Golgi-luminal catalytic domain of the recently identified Golgi-resident QC (gQC) and its complex with PBD150. We also describe the high-resolution structures of secretory QC (sQC)-PBD150 complex and two other gQC-inhibitor complexes. gQC structure has a scaffold similar to that of sQC but with a relatively wider and negatively charged active site, suggesting a distinct substrate specificity from sQC. Upon binding to PBD150, a large loop movement in gQC allows the inhibitor to be tightly held in its active site primarily by hydrophobic interactions. Further comparisons of the inhibitor-bound structures revealed distinct interactions of the inhibitors with gQC and sQC, which are consistent with the results from our inhibitor assays reported here. Because gQC and sQC may play different biological roles in vivo, the different inhibitor binding modes allow the design of specific inhibitors toward gQC and sQC.

Structure of a retro-binding peptide inhibitor complexed with human alpha-thrombin.

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Tabernero, L; Chang, C Y; Ohringer, S L; Lau, W F; Iwanowicz, E J; Han, W C; Wang, T C; Seiler, S M; Roberts, D G; Sack, J S

1995-02-10

The crystallographic structure of the ternary complex between human alpha-thrombin, hirugen and the peptidyl inhibitor Phe-alloThr-Phe-O-CH3, which is acylated at its N terminus with 4-guanidino butanoic acid (BMS-183507), has been determined at 2.6 A resolution. The structure reveals a unique "retro-binding" mode for this tripeptide active site inhibitor. The inhibitor binds with its alkyl-guanidine moiety in the primary specificity pocket and its two phenyl rings occupying the hydrophobic proximal and distal pockets of the thrombin active site. In this arrangement the backbone of the tripeptide forms a parallel beta-strand to the thrombin main-chain at the binding site. This is opposite to the orientation of the natural substrate, fibrinogen, and all the small active site-directed thrombin inhibitors whose bound structures have been previously reported. BMS-183507 is the first synthetic inhibitor proved to bind in a retro-binding fashion to thrombin, in a fashion similar to that of the N-terminal residues of the natural inhibitor hirudin. Furthermore, this new potent thrombin inhibitor (Ki = 17.2 nM) is selective for thrombin over other serine proteases tested and may be a template to be considered in designing hirudin-based thrombin inhibitors with interactions at the specificity pocket.

Albumin-derived peptides efficiently reduce renal uptake of radiolabelled peptides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vegt, Erik; Eek, Annemarie; Oyen, Wim J.G.; Gotthardt, Martin; Boerman, Otto C.; Jong, Marion de

2010-01-01

In peptide-receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), the maximum activity dose that can safely be administered is limited by high renal uptake and retention of radiolabelled peptides. The kidney radiation dose can be reduced by coinfusion of agents that competitively inhibit the reabsorption of radiolabelled peptides, such as positively charged amino acids, Gelofusine, or trypsinised albumin. The aim of this study was to identify more specific and potent inhibitors of the kidney reabsorption of radiolabelled peptides, based on albumin. Albumin was fragmented using cyanogen bromide and six albumin-derived peptides with different numbers of electric charges were selected and synthesised. The effect of albumin fragments (FRALB-C) and selected albumin-derived peptides on the internalisation of 111 In-albumin, 111 In-minigastrin, 111 In-exendin and 111 In-octreotide by megalin-expressing cells was assessed. In rats, the effect of Gelofusine and albumin-derived peptides on the renal uptake and biodistribution of 111 In-minigastrin, 111 In-exendin and 111 In-octreotide was determined. FRALB-C significantly reduced the uptake of all radiolabelled peptides in vitro. The albumin-derived peptides showed different potencies in reducing the uptake of 111 In-albumin, 111 In-exendin and 111 In-minigastrin in vitro. The most efficient albumin-derived peptide (peptide 6), was selected for in vivo testing. In rats, 5 mg of peptide 6 very efficiently inhibited the renal uptake of 111 In-minigastrin, by 88%. Uptake of 111 In-exendin and 111 In-octreotide was reduced by 26 and 33%, respectively. The albumin-derived peptide 6 efficiently inhibited the renal reabsorption of 111 In-minigastrin, 111 In-exendin and 111 In-octreotide and is a promising candidate for kidney protection in PRRT. (orig.)

Inhibition of neurotensin-stimulated mast cell secretion and carboxypeptidase A activity by the peptide inhibitor of carboxypeptidase A and neurotensin-receptor antagonist SR 48692.

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Miller, L A; Cochrane, D E; Feldberg, R S; Carraway, R E

1998-06-01

Neurotensin (NT), a peptide found in brain and several peripheral tissues, is a potent stimulus for mast cell secretion and its actions are blocked by the specific NT receptor antagonist, SR 48692. Subsequent to stimulation, NT is rapidly degraded by mast cell carboxypeptidase A (CPA). In the experiments described here, we tested for the involvement of CPA activity in the activation of mast cell secretion by the peptide, NT. Mast cells were isolated from the peritoneal and pleural cavities of rats, purified over metrizamide gradients and incubated at 37 degrees C in Locke solution or Locke containing the appropriate inhibitors. For some experiments, media derived from mast cells stimulated by compound 48/80 were used as a source of mast cell CPA activity. Treatment of mast cells with the highly specific peptide inhibitor of CPA derived from potato (PCI) inhibited histamine release in response to NT and NT8-13 (the biologically active region of NT). This inhibition required some 20 min to develop and was only partially reversed by a 20-min wash period. PCI (10 microM) did not inhibit histamine release in response to NT1-12, bradykinin, compound 48/80, the calcium ionophore, A23187, or anti-IgE serum. PCI also inhibited mast cell CPA activity. SR 48692, a highly selective antagonist of the brain NT receptor and of NT-stimulated mast cell secretion, also inhibited mast cell CPA activity as well as bovine pancreatic CPA activity in a concentration-dependent manner. It is suggested that the mast cell binding site for NT and the active site for CPA may share similar characteristics. The results are discussed in terms of NT mechanism of action on the mast cell.

Stapled Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel (CaV) α-Interaction Domain (AID) Peptides Act As Selective Protein-Protein Interaction Inhibitors of CaV Function.

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Findeisen, Felix; Campiglio, Marta; Jo, Hyunil; Abderemane-Ali, Fayal; Rumpf, Christine H; Pope, Lianne; Rossen, Nathan D; Flucher, Bernhard E; DeGrado, William F; Minor, Daniel L

2017-06-21

For many voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs), creation of a properly functioning ion channel requires the formation of specific protein-protein interactions between the transmembrane pore-forming subunits and cystoplasmic accessory subunits. Despite the importance of such protein-protein interactions in VGIC function and assembly, their potential as sites for VGIC modulator development has been largely overlooked. Here, we develop meta-xylyl (m-xylyl) stapled peptides that target a prototypic VGIC high affinity protein-protein interaction, the interaction between the voltage-gated calcium channel (Ca V ) pore-forming subunit α-interaction domain (AID) and cytoplasmic β-subunit (Ca V β). We show using circular dichroism spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and isothermal titration calorimetry that the m-xylyl staples enhance AID helix formation are structurally compatible with native-like AID:Ca V β interactions and reduce the entropic penalty associated with AID binding to Ca V β. Importantly, electrophysiological studies reveal that stapled AID peptides act as effective inhibitors of the Ca V α 1 :Ca V β interaction that modulate Ca V function in an Ca V β isoform-selective manner. Together, our studies provide a proof-of-concept demonstration of the use of protein-protein interaction inhibitors to control VGIC function and point to strategies for improved AID-based Ca V modulator design.

Interactions of a potent cyclic peptide inhibitor with the light chain of botulinum neurotoxin A: Insights from X-ray crystallography.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumaran, Desigan; Adler, Michael; Levit, Matthew; Krebs, Michael; Sweeney, Richard; Swaminathan, Subramanyam

2015-11-15

The seven antigenically distinct serotypes (A-G) of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) are responsible for the deadly disease botulism. BoNT serotype A (BoNT/A) exerts its lethal action by cleaving the SNARE protein SNAP-25, leading to inhibition of neurotransmitter release, flaccid paralysis and autonomic dysfunction. BoNTs are dichain proteins consisting of a ∼ 100 kDa heavy chain and a ∼ 50 kDa light chain; the former is responsible for neurospecific binding, internalization and translocation, and the latter for cleavage of neuronal SNARE proteins. Because of their extreme toxicity and history of weaponization, the BoNTs are regarded as potential biowarfare/bioterrorism agents. No post-symptomatic therapeutic interventions are available for BoNT intoxication other than intensive care; therefore it is imperative to develop specific antidotes against this neurotoxin. To this end, a cyclic peptide inhibitor (CPI-1) was evaluated in a FRET assay for its ability to inhibit BoNT/A light chain (Balc). CPI was found to be highly potent, exhibiting a Ki of 12.3 nM with full-length Balc448 and 39.2 nM using a truncated crystallizable form of the light chain (Balc424). Cocrystallization studies revealed that in the Balc424-CPI-1 complex, the inhibitor adopts a helical conformation, occupies a high percentage of the active site cavity and interacts in an amphipathic manner with critical active site residues. The data suggest that CPI-1 prevents SNAP-25 from accessing the Balc active site by blocking both the substrate binding path at the surface and the Zn(2+) binding region involved in catalysis. This differs from linear peptide inhibitors described to date which block only the latter. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Rapid discovery of peptide capture candidates with demonstrated specificity for structurally similar toxins

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Sarkes, Deborah A.; Hurley, Margaret M.; Coppock, Matthew B.; Farrell, Mikella E.; Pellegrino, Paul M.; Stratis-Cullum, Dimitra N.

2016-05-01

Peptides have emerged as viable alternatives to antibodies for molecular-based sensing due to their similarity in recognition ability despite their relative structural simplicity. Various methods for peptide capture reagent discovery exist, including phage display, yeast display, and bacterial display. One of the primary advantages of peptide discovery by bacterial display technology is the speed to candidate peptide capture agent, due to both rapid growth of bacteria and direct utilization of the sorted cells displaying each individual peptide for the subsequent round of biopanning. We have previously isolated peptide affinity reagents towards protective antigen of Bacillus anthracis using a commercially available automated magnetic sorting platform with improved enrichment as compared to manual magnetic sorting. In this work, we focus on adapting our automated biopanning method to a more challenging sort, to demonstrate the specificity possible with peptide capture agents. This was achieved using non-toxic, recombinant variants of ricin and abrin, RiVax and abrax, respectively, which are structurally similar Type II ribosomal inactivating proteins with significant sequence homology. After only two rounds of biopanning, enrichment of peptide capture candidates binding abrax but not RiVax was achieved as demonstrated by Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) studies. Further sorting optimization included negative sorting against RiVax, proper selection of autoMACS programs for specific sorting rounds, and using freshly made buffer and freshly thawed protein target for each round of biopanning for continued enrichment over all four rounds. Most of the resulting candidates from biopanning for abrax binding peptides were able to bind abrax but not RiVax, demonstrating that short peptide sequences can be highly specific even at this early discovery stage.

Mammalian protein secretion without signal peptide removal. Biosynthesis of plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 in U-937 cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye, R.D.; Wun, T.C.; Sadler, J.E.

1988-01-01

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 (PAI-2) is a serine protease inhibitor that regulates plasmin generation by inhibiting urokinase and tissue plasminogen activator. The primary structure of PAI-2 suggests that it may be secreted without cleavage of a single peptide. To confirm this hypothesis we have studied the glycosylation and secretion of PAI-2 in human monocytic U-937 cells by metabolic labeling, immunoprecipitation, glycosidase digestion, and protein sequencing. PAI-2 is variably glycosylated on asparagine residues to yield intracellular intermediates with zero, one, two, or three high mannose-type oligosaccharide units. Secretion of the N-glycosylated species began by 1 h of chase and the secreted molecules contained both complex-type N-linked and O-linked oligosaccharides. Enzymatically deglycosylated PAI-2 had an electrophoretic mobility identical to that of the nonglycosylated precursor and also to that of PAI-2 synthesized in vitro in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate from synthetic mRNA derived from full length PAI-2 cDNA. The amino-terminal protein sequence of secreted PAI-2 began with the initiator methionine residue. These results indicate that PAI-2 is glycosylated and secreted efficiently without the cleavage of a signal peptide. PAI-2 shares this property with its nearest homologue in the serine protease inhibitor family, chicken ovalbumin, and appears to be the first well characterized example of this phenomenon among natural mammalian proteins

Collision-Induced Dissociation of Deprotonated Peptides. Relative Abundance of Side-Chain Neutral Losses, Residue-Specific Product Ions, and Comparison with Protonated Peptides.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Yuxue; Neta, Pedatsur; Yang, Xiaoyu; Stein, Stephen E

2018-03-01

High-accuracy MS/MS spectra of deprotonated ions of 390 dipeptides and 137 peptides with three to six residues are studied. Many amino acid residues undergo neutral losses from their side chains. The most abundant is the loss of acetaldehyde from threonine. The abundance of losses from the side chains of other amino acids is estimated relative to that of threonine. While some amino acids lose the whole side chain, others lose only part of it, and some exhibit two or more different losses. Side-chain neutral losses are less abundant in the spectra of protonated peptides, being significant mainly for methionine and arginine. In addition to the neutral losses, many amino acid residues in deprotonated peptides produce specific negative ions after peptide bond cleavage. An expanded list of fragment ions from protonated peptides is also presented and compared with those of deprotonated peptides. Fragment ions are mostly different for these two cases. These lists of fragments are used to annotate peptide mass spectral libraries and to aid in the confirmation of specific amino acids in peptides. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Chagas disease-specific antigens: characterization of epitopes in CRA/FRA by synthetic peptide mapping and evaluation by ELISA-peptide assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Bottino, Carolina G; Gomes, Luciano P; Pereira, José B; Coura, José R; Provance, David William; De-Simone, Salvatore G

2013-12-03

The identification of epitopes in proteins recognized by medically relevant antibodies is useful for the development of peptide-based diagnostics and vaccines. In this study, epitopes in the cytoplasmic repetitive antigen (CRA) and flagellar repetitive antigen (FRA) proteins from Trypanosoma cruzi were identified using synthetic peptide techniques and pooled sera from Chagasic patients. The epitopes were further assayed with an ELISA assay based on synthetic peptides. Twenty-two overlapping synthetic peptides representing the coding sequence of the T. cruzi CRA and FRA proteins were assessed by a Spot-synthesis array analysis using sera donated by patients with Chagas disease. Shorter peptides were selected that represented the determined epitopes and synthesized by solid phase synthesis to evaluate the patterns of cross-reactivities and discrimination through an ELISA-diagnostic assay. The peptide Spot-synthesis array successfully identified two IgG antigenic determinants in the CRA protein and four in FRA. Bioinformatics suggested that the CRA antigens were unique to T. cruzi while the FRA antigen showed similarity with sequences present within various proteins from Leishmania sp. Subsequently, shorter peptides representing the CRA-1, CRA-2 and FRA-1 epitopes were synthesized by solid phase synthesis and assayed by an ELISA-diagnostic assay. The CRA antigens gave a high discrimination between Chagasic, Leishmaniasis and T. cruzi-uninfected serum. A sensitivity and specificity of 100% was calculated for CRA. While the FRA antigen showed a slightly lower sensitivity (91.6%), its specificity was only 60%. The epitopes recognized by human anti-T. cruzi antibodies have been precisely located in two biomarkers of T. cruzi, CRA and FRA. The results from screening a panel of patient sera through an ELISA assay based on peptides representing these epitopes strongly suggest that the sequences from CRA would be useful for the development of diagnostic reagents that could

Antistaphylococcal activity of LBM415, a new peptide deformylase inhibitor, compared with those of other agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Credito, Kim; Lin, Gengrong; Ednie, Lois M; Appelbaum, Peter C

2004-10-01

The MICs of LBM415, a new peptide diformylase inhibitor, were

Oral peptide specific egg antibody to intestinal sodium-dependent phosphate co-transporter-2b is effective at altering phosphate transport in vitro and in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Bobeck, Elizabeth A; Hellestad, Erica M; Sand, Jordan M; Piccione, Michelle L; Bishop, Jeff W; Helvig, Christian; Petkovich, Martin; Cook, Mark E

2015-06-01

Hyperimmunized hens are an effective means of generating large quantities of antigen specific egg antibodies that have use as oral supplements. In this study, we attempted to create a peptide specific antibody that produced outcomes similar to those of the human pharmaceutical, sevelamer HCl, used in the treatment of hyperphosphatemia (a sequela of chronic renal disease). Egg antibodies were generated against 8 different human intestinal sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporter 2b (NaPi2b) peptides, and hNaPi2b peptide egg antibodies were screened for their ability to inhibit phosphate transport in human intestinal Caco-2 cell line. Antibody produced against human peptide sequence TSPSLCWT (anti-h16) was specific for its peptide sequence, and significantly reduced phosphate transport in human Caco-2 cells to 25.3±11.5% of control nonspecific antibody, when compared to nicotinamide, a known inhibitor of phosphate transport (P≤0.05). Antibody was then produced against the mouse-specific peptide h16 counterpart (mouse sequence TSPSYCWT, anti-m16) for further analysis in a murine model. When anti-m16 was fed to mice (1% of diet as dried egg yolk powder), egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) was detected using immunohistochemical staining in mouse ileum, and egg anti-m16 IgY colocalized with a commercial goat anti-NaPi2b antibody. The effectiveness of anti-m16 egg antibody in reducing serum phosphate, when compared to sevelamer HCl, was determined in a mouse feeding study. Serum phosphate was reduced 18% (Pegg yolk powder) and 30% (Pegg immunoglobulin. The methods described and the findings reported show that oral egg antibodies are useful and easy to prepare reagents for the study and possible treatment of select diseases. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Identification of Four-Jointed Box 1 (FJX1-Specific Peptides for Immunotherapy of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

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San Jiun Chai

Full Text Available Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC is highly prevalent in South East Asia and China. The poor outcome is due to late presentation, recurrence, distant metastasis and limited therapeutic options. For improved treatment outcome, immunotherapeutic approaches focusing on dendritic and autologous cytotoxic T-cell based therapies have been developed, but cost and infrastructure remain barriers for implementing these in low-resource settings. As our prior observations had found that four-jointed box 1 (FJX1, a tumor antigen, is overexpressed in NPCs, we investigated if short 9-20 amino acid sequence specific peptides matching to FJX1 requiring only intramuscular immunization to train host immune systems would be a better treatment option for this disease. Thus, we designed 8 FJX1-specific peptides and implemented an assay system to first, assess the binding of these peptides to HLA-A2 molecules on T2 cells. After, ELISPOT assays were used to determine the peptides immunogenicity and ability to induce potential cytotoxicity activity towards cancer cells. Also, T-cell proliferation assay was used to evaluate the potential of MHC class II peptides to stimulate the expansion of isolated T-cells. Our results demonstrate that these peptides are immunogenic and peptide stimulated T-cells were able to induce peptide-specific cytolytic activity specifically against FJX1-expressing cancer cells. In addition, we demonstrated that the MHC class II peptides were capable of inducing T-cell proliferation. Our results suggest that these peptides are capable of inducing specific cytotoxic cytokines secretion against FJX1-expressing cancer cells and serve as a potential vaccine-based therapy for NPC patients.

Identification of Four-Jointed Box 1 (FJX1)-Specific Peptides for Immunotherapy of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Science.gov (United States)

Chai, San Jiun; Yap, Yoke Yeow; Foo, Yoke Ching; Yap, Lee Fah; Ponniah, Sathibalan; Teo, Soo Hwang; Cheong, Sok Ching; Patel, Vyomesh; Lim, Kue Peng

2015-01-01

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is highly prevalent in South East Asia and China. The poor outcome is due to late presentation, recurrence, distant metastasis and limited therapeutic options. For improved treatment outcome, immunotherapeutic approaches focusing on dendritic and autologous cytotoxic T-cell based therapies have been developed, but cost and infrastructure remain barriers for implementing these in low-resource settings. As our prior observations had found that four-jointed box 1 (FJX1), a tumor antigen, is overexpressed in NPCs, we investigated if short 9–20 amino acid sequence specific peptides matching to FJX1 requiring only intramuscular immunization to train host immune systems would be a better treatment option for this disease. Thus, we designed 8 FJX1-specific peptides and implemented an assay system to first, assess the binding of these peptides to HLA-A2 molecules on T2 cells. After, ELISPOT assays were used to determine the peptides immunogenicity and ability to induce potential cytotoxicity activity towards cancer cells. Also, T-cell proliferation assay was used to evaluate the potential of MHC class II peptides to stimulate the expansion of isolated T-cells. Our results demonstrate that these peptides are immunogenic and peptide stimulated T-cells were able to induce peptide-specific cytolytic activity specifically against FJX1-expressing cancer cells. In addition, we demonstrated that the MHC class II peptides were capable of inducing T-cell proliferation. Our results suggest that these peptides are capable of inducing specific cytotoxic cytokines secretion against FJX1-expressing cancer cells and serve as a potential vaccine-based therapy for NPC patients. PMID:26536470

Transthyretin protects against A-beta peptide toxicity by proteolytic cleavage of the peptide: a mechanism sensitive to the Kunitz protease inhibitor.

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Rita Costa

Full Text Available Alzheimer's disease (AD is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the deposition of amyloid beta-peptide (A-Beta in the brain. Transthyretin (TTR is a tetrameric protein of about 55 kDa mainly produced in the liver and choroid plexus of the brain. The known physiological functions of TTR are the transport of thyroid hormone T(4 and retinol, through binding to the retinol binding protein. TTR has also been established as a cryptic protease able to cleave ApoA-I in vitro. It has been described that TTR is involved in preventing A-Beta fibrilization, both by inhibiting and disrupting A-Beta fibrils, with consequent abrogation of toxicity. We further characterized the nature of the TTR/A-Beta interaction and found that TTR, both recombinant or isolated from human sera, was able to proteolytically process A-Beta, cleaving the peptide after aminoacid residues 1, 2, 3, 10, 13, 14,16, 19 and 27, as determined by mass spectrometry, and reversed phase chromatography followed by N-terminal sequencing. A-Beta peptides (1-14 and (15-42 showed lower amyloidogenic potential than the full length counterpart, as assessed by thioflavin binding assay and ultrastructural analysis by transmission electron microscopy. A-Beta cleavage by TTR was inhibited in the presence of an alphaAPP peptide containing the Kunitz Protease Inhibitor (KPI domain but not in the presence of the secreted alphaAPP derived from the APP isoform 695 without the KPI domain. TTR was also able to degrade aggregated forms of A-Beta peptide. Our results confirmed TTR as a protective molecule in AD, and prompted A-Beta proteolysis by TTR as a protective mechanism in this disease. TTR may prove to be a useful therapeutic agent for preventing or retarding the cerebral amyloid plaque formation implicated in AD pathology.

Glucagon-like peptide 1 and inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase IV in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holst, Jens Juul; Deacon, Carolyn F

2004-01-01

Proof-of-concept for the efficacy of a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1)-based therapy of patients with type 2 diabetes was provided in 2002 by means of prolonged continuous subcutaneous infusion of native GLP-1. Since then, several long-acting analogues of GLP-1, as well as inhibitors of dipeptidyl...

Cross-reactive microbial peptides can modulate HIV-specific CD8+ T cell responses.

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Christopher W Pohlmeyer

Full Text Available Heterologous immunity is an important aspect of the adaptive immune response. We hypothesized that this process could modulate the HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cell response, which has been shown to play an important role in HIV-1 immunity and control. We found that stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs from HIV-1-positive subjects with microbial peptides that were cross-reactive with immunodominant HIV-1 epitopes resulted in dramatic expansion of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells. Interestingly, the TCR repertoire of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells generated by ex vivo stimulation of PBMCs using HIV-1 peptide was different from that of cells stimulated with cross-reactive microbial peptides in some HIV-1-positive subjects. Despite these differences, CD8+ T cells stimulated with either HIV-1 or cross-reactive peptides effectively suppressed HIV-1 replication in autologous CD4+ T cells. These data suggest that exposure to cross-reactive microbial antigens can modulate HIV-1-specific immunity.

Specific Affinity Enrichment of Electrochemically Cleaved Peptides Based on Cu(II)-Mediated Spirolactone Tagging

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhang, Tao; de Vries, Marcel P.; Permentier, Hjalmar P.; Bischoff, Rainer

2017-01-01

Specific digestion of proteins is an essential step for mass spectrometry-based proteomics, and the chemical labeling of the resulting peptides is often used for peptide enrichment or the introduction of desirable tags. Electrochemical oxidation yielding specific cleavage C-terminal to tyrosine

Structural Study of a New HIV-1 Entry Inhibitor and Interaction with the HIV-1 Fusion Peptide in Dodecylphosphocholine Micelles.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez, Yolanda; Gómara, Maria José; Yuste, Eloísa; Gómez-Gutierrez, Patricia; Pérez, Juan Jesús; Haro, Isabel

2017-08-25

Previous studies support the hypothesis that the envelope GB virus C (GBV-C) E1 protein interferes the HIV-1 entry and that a peptide, derived from the region 139-156 of this protein, has been defined as a novel HIV-1 entry inhibitor. In this work, we firstly focus on the characterization of the structural features of this peptide, which are determinant for its anti-HIV-1 activity and secondly, on the study of its interaction with the proposed viral target (i.e., the HIV-1 fusion peptide). We report the structure of the peptide determined by NMR spectroscopy in dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) micelles solved by using restrained molecular dynamics calculations. The acquisition of different NMR experiments in DPC micelles (i.e., peptide-peptide titration, diffusion NMR spectroscopy, and addition of paramagnetic relaxation agents) allows a proposal of an inhibition mechanism. We conclude that a 18-mer peptide from the non-pathogenic E1 GBV-C protein, with a helix-turn-helix structure inhibits HIV-1 by binding to the HIV-1 fusion peptide at the membrane level, thereby interfering with those domains in the HIV-1, which are critical for stabilizing the six-helix bundle formation in a membranous environment. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Small molecule and peptide-mediated inhibition of Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 dimerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Sun Young; Song, Kyung-A; Kieff, Elliott; Kang, Myung-Soo

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Evidence that targeting EBNA1 dimer, an EBV onco-antigen, can be achievable. ► A small molecule and a peptide as EBNA1 dimerization inhibitors identified. ► Both inhibitors associated with EBNA1 and blocked EBNA1 DNA binding activity. ► Also, prevented its dimerization, and repressed viral gene transcription. -- Abstract: Latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is associated with human B cell lymphomas and certain carcinomas. EBV episome persistence, replication, and gene expression are dependent on EBV-encoded nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1)’s DNA binding domain (DBD)/dimerization domain (DD)-mediated sequence-specific DNA binding activity. Homodimerization of EBNA1 is essential for EBNA1 DNA binding and transactivation. In this study, we characterized a novel small molecule EBNA1 inhibitor EiK1, screened from the previous high throughput screening (HTS). The EiK1 compound specifically inhibited the EBNA1-dependent, OriP-enhanced transcription, but not EBNA1-independent transcription. A Surface Plasmon Resonance Biacore assay revealed that EiK1 associates with EBNA1 amino acid 459–607 DBD/DD. Consistent with the SPR data, in vitro gel shift assays showed that EiK1 suppressed the activity of EBNA1 binding to the cognate familial repeats (FR) sequence, but not control RBP-Jκ binding to the Jκ site. Subsequently, a cross-linker-mediated in vitro multimerization assay and EBNA1 homodimerization-dependent yeast two-hybrid assay showed that EiK1 significantly inhibited EBNA1 dimerization. In an attempt to identify more highly specific peptide inhibitors, small peptides encompassing the EBNA1 DBD/DD were screened for inhibition of EBNA1 DBD-mediated DNA binding function. The small peptide P85, covering EBNA1 a.a. 560–574, significantly blocked EBNA1 DNA binding activity in vitro, prevented dimerization in vitro and in vivo, associated with EBNA1 in vitro, and repressed EBNA1-dependent transcription in vivo. Collectively, this study describes two

Small molecule and peptide-mediated inhibition of Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 dimerization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Sun Young; Song, Kyung-A [Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Samsung Biomedical Research Institute (SBRI), Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kieff, Elliott [Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women' s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 (United States); Kang, Myung-Soo, E-mail: mkang@skku.edu [Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Samsung Biomedical Research Institute (SBRI), Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women' s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 (United States)

2012-07-27

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Evidence that targeting EBNA1 dimer, an EBV onco-antigen, can be achievable. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A small molecule and a peptide as EBNA1 dimerization inhibitors identified. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Both inhibitors associated with EBNA1 and blocked EBNA1 DNA binding activity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Also, prevented its dimerization, and repressed viral gene transcription. -- Abstract: Latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is associated with human B cell lymphomas and certain carcinomas. EBV episome persistence, replication, and gene expression are dependent on EBV-encoded nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1)'s DNA binding domain (DBD)/dimerization domain (DD)-mediated sequence-specific DNA binding activity. Homodimerization of EBNA1 is essential for EBNA1 DNA binding and transactivation. In this study, we characterized a novel small molecule EBNA1 inhibitor EiK1, screened from the previous high throughput screening (HTS). The EiK1 compound specifically inhibited the EBNA1-dependent, OriP-enhanced transcription, but not EBNA1-independent transcription. A Surface Plasmon Resonance Biacore assay revealed that EiK1 associates with EBNA1 amino acid 459-607 DBD/DD. Consistent with the SPR data, in vitro gel shift assays showed that EiK1 suppressed the activity of EBNA1 binding to the cognate familial repeats (FR) sequence, but not control RBP-J{kappa} binding to the J{kappa} site. Subsequently, a cross-linker-mediated in vitro multimerization assay and EBNA1 homodimerization-dependent yeast two-hybrid assay showed that EiK1 significantly inhibited EBNA1 dimerization. In an attempt to identify more highly specific peptide inhibitors, small peptides encompassing the EBNA1 DBD/DD were screened for inhibition of EBNA1 DBD-mediated DNA binding function. The small peptide P85, covering EBNA1 a.a. 560-574, significantly blocked EBNA1 DNA binding activity in vitro, prevented dimerization in vitro and in vivo, associated

Protein kinase inhibitor peptide (PKI): a family of endogenous neuropeptides that modulate neuronal cAMP-dependent protein kinase function.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalton, George D; Dewey, William L

2006-02-01

Signal transduction cascades involving cAMP-dependent protein kinase are highly conserved among a wide variety of organisms. Given the universal nature of this enzyme it is not surprising that cAMP-dependent protein kinase plays a critical role in numerous cellular processes. This is particularly evident in the nervous system where cAMP-dependent protein kinase is involved in neurotransmitter release, gene transcription, and synaptic plasticity. Protein kinase inhibitor peptide (PKI) is an endogenous thermostable peptide that modulates cAMP-dependent protein kinase function. PKI contains two distinct functional domains within its amino acid sequence that allow it to: (1) potently and specifically inhibit the activity of the free catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase and (2) export the free catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase from the nucleus. Three distinct PKI isoforms (PKIalpha, PKIbeta, PKIgamma) have been identified and each isoform is expressed in the brain. PKI modulates neuronal synaptic activity, while PKI also is involved in morphogenesis and symmetrical left-right axis formation. In addition, PKI also plays a role in regulating gene expression induced by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Future studies should identify novel physiological functions for endogenous PKI both in the nervous system and throughout the body. Most interesting will be the determination whether functional differences exist between individual PKI isoforms which is an intriguing possibility since these isoforms exhibit: (1) cell-type specific tissue expression patterns, (2) different potencies for the inhibition of cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity, and (3) expression patterns that are hormonally, developmentally and cell-cycle regulated. Finally, synthetic peptide analogs of endogenous PKI will continue to be invaluable tools that are used to elucidate the role of cAMP-dependent protein kinase in a variety of cellular processes throughout the nervous

Changes in glucose-induced plasma active glucagon-like peptide-1 levels by co-administration of sodium–glucose cotransporter inhibitors with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in rodents

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Takahiro Oguma

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We investigated whether structurally different sodium–glucose cotransporter (SGLT 2 inhibitors, when co-administered with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4 inhibitors, could enhance glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1 secretion during oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs in rodents. Three different SGLT inhibitors—1-(β-d-Glucopyranosyl-4-chloro-3-[5-(6-fluoro-2-pyridyl-2-thienylmethyl]benzene (GTB, TA-1887, and canagliflozin—were examined to assess the effect of chemical structure. Oral treatment with GTB plus a DPP4 inhibitor enhanced glucose-induced plasma active GLP-1 (aGLP-1 elevation and suppressed glucose excursions in both normal and diabetic rodents. In DPP4-deficient rats, GTB enhanced glucose-induced aGLP-1 elevation without affecting the basal level, whereas metformin, previously reported to enhance GLP-1 secretion, increased both the basal level and glucose-induced elevation. Oral treatment with canagliflozin and TA-1887 also enhanced glucose-induced aGLP-1 elevation when co-administered with either teneligliptin or sitagliptin. These data suggest that structurally different SGLT2 inhibitors enhance plasma aGLP-1 elevation and suppress glucose excursions during OGTT when co-administered with DPP4 inhibitors, regardless of the difference in chemical structure. Combination treatment with DPP4 inhibitors and SGLT2 inhibitors having moderate SGLT1 inhibitory activity may be a promising therapeutic option for improving glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Characterizing SH2 Domain Specificity and Network Interactions Using SPOT Peptide Arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Bernard A

2017-01-01

Src Homology 2 (SH2) domains are protein interaction modules that recognize and bind tyrosine phosphorylated ligands. Their ability to distinguish binding to over thousands of potential phosphotyrosine (pTyr) ligands within the cell is critical for the fidelity of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling. Within humans there are over a hundred SH2 domains with more than several thousand potential ligands across many cell types and cell states. Therefore, defining the specificity of individual SH2 domains is critical for predicting and identifying their physiological ligands. Here, in this chapter, I describe the broad use of SPOT peptide arrays for examining SH2 domain specificity. An orientated peptide array library (OPAL) approach can uncover both favorable and non-favorable residues, thus providing an in-depth analysis to SH2 specificity. Moreover, I discuss the application of SPOT arrays for paneling SH2 ligand binding with physiological peptides.

Crystal structure of the N domain of human somatic angiotensin I-converting enzyme provides a structural basis for domain-specific inhibitor design.

Science.gov (United States)

Corradi, Hazel R; Schwager, Sylva L U; Nchinda, Aloysius T; Sturrock, Edward D; Acharya, K Ravi

2006-03-31

Human somatic angiotensin I-converting enzyme (sACE) is a key regulator of blood pressure and an important drug target for combating cardiovascular and renal disease. sACE comprises two homologous metallopeptidase domains, N and C, joined by an inter-domain linker. Both domains are capable of cleaving the two hemoregulatory peptides angiotensin I and bradykinin, but differ in their affinities for a range of other substrates and inhibitors. Previously we determined the structure of testis ACE (C domain); here we present the crystal structure of the N domain of sACE (both in the presence and absence of the antihypertensive drug lisinopril) in order to aid the understanding of how these two domains differ in specificity and function. In addition, the structure of most of the inter-domain linker allows us to propose relative domain positions for sACE that may contribute to the domain cooperativity. The structure now provides a platform for the design of "domain-specific" second-generation ACE inhibitors.

Preliminary study on the inhibition of nuclear internalization of Tat peptides by conjugation with a receptor-specific peptide and fluorescent dyes

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Duanwen; Liang, Kexiang; Ye, Yunpeng; Tetteh, Elizabeth; Achilefu, Samuel

2006-02-01

Numerous studies have shown that basic Tat peptide (48-57) internalized non-specifically in cells and localized in the nucleus. However, localization of imaging agents in cellular nucleus is not desirable because of the potential mutagenesis. When conjugated to the peptides that undergo receptor-mediated endocytosis, Tat peptide could target specific cells or pathologic tissue. We tested this hypothesis by incorporating a somatostatin receptor-avid peptide (octreotate, Oct) and two different fluorescent dyes, Cypate 2 (Cy2) and fluorescein 5'-carboxlic acid (5-FAM), into the Tat-peptide sequence. In addition to the Cy2 or 5-FAM-labeled Oct conjugated to Tat peptide (Tat) to produce Tat-Oct-Cypate2 or Tat-Oct-5-FAM, we also labeled the Tat the Tat peptide with these dyes (Tat-Cy2 and Tat-5-FAM) to serve as positive control. A somatostatin receptor-positive pancreatic tumor cell line, AR42J, was used to assess cell internalization. The results show that Tat-5-FAM and Tat-Cypate2 localized in both nucleus and cytoplasm of the cells. In contrast to Tat-Oct-Cypate2, which localized in both the cytoplasm and nucleus, Tat-Oct-5-FAM internalized in the cytoplasm but not in the nucleus of AR42J cells. The internalizations were inhibited by adding non-labeled corresponding peptides, suggesting that the endocytoses of each group of labeled and the corresponding unlabeled compounds occurred through a common pathway. Thus, fluorescent probes and endocytosis complex between octreotate and somatostatin receptors in cytoplasm could control nuclear internalization of Tat peptides.

A Simple PB/LIE Free Energy Function Accurately Predicts the Peptide Binding Specificity of the Tiam1 PDZ Domain.

Science.gov (United States)

Panel, Nicolas; Sun, Young Joo; Fuentes, Ernesto J; Simonson, Thomas

2017-01-01

PDZ domains generally bind short amino acid sequences at the C-terminus of target proteins, and short peptides can be used as inhibitors or model ligands. Here, we used experimental binding assays and molecular dynamics simulations to characterize 51 complexes involving the Tiam1 PDZ domain and to test the performance of a semi-empirical free energy function. The free energy function combined a Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) continuum electrostatic term, a van der Waals interaction energy, and a surface area term. Each term was empirically weighted, giving a Linear Interaction Energy or "PB/LIE" free energy. The model yielded a mean unsigned deviation of 0.43 kcal/mol and a Pearson correlation of 0.64 between experimental and computed free energies, which was superior to a Null model that assumes all complexes have the same affinity. Analyses of the models support several experimental observations that indicate the orientation of the α 2 helix is a critical determinant for peptide specificity. The models were also used to predict binding free energies for nine new variants, corresponding to point mutants of the Syndecan1 and Caspr4 peptides. The predictions did not reveal improved binding; however, they suggest that an unnatural amino acid could be used to increase protease resistance and peptide lifetimes in vivo . The overall performance of the model should allow its use in the design of new PDZ ligands in the future.

A Simple PB/LIE Free Energy Function Accurately Predicts the Peptide Binding Specificity of the Tiam1 PDZ Domain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolas Panel

2017-09-01

Full Text Available PDZ domains generally bind short amino acid sequences at the C-terminus of target proteins, and short peptides can be used as inhibitors or model ligands. Here, we used experimental binding assays and molecular dynamics simulations to characterize 51 complexes involving the Tiam1 PDZ domain and to test the performance of a semi-empirical free energy function. The free energy function combined a Poisson-Boltzmann (PB continuum electrostatic term, a van der Waals interaction energy, and a surface area term. Each term was empirically weighted, giving a Linear Interaction Energy or “PB/LIE” free energy. The model yielded a mean unsigned deviation of 0.43 kcal/mol and a Pearson correlation of 0.64 between experimental and computed free energies, which was superior to a Null model that assumes all complexes have the same affinity. Analyses of the models support several experimental observations that indicate the orientation of the α2 helix is a critical determinant for peptide specificity. The models were also used to predict binding free energies for nine new variants, corresponding to point mutants of the Syndecan1 and Caspr4 peptides. The predictions did not reveal improved binding; however, they suggest that an unnatural amino acid could be used to increase protease resistance and peptide lifetimes in vivo. The overall performance of the model should allow its use in the design of new PDZ ligands in the future.

Peptide-targeted, stimuli-responsive polymersomes for delivering a cancer stemness inhibitor to cancer stem cell microtumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Karandish, Fataneh; Froberg, James; Borowicz, Pawel; Wilkinson, John C; Choi, Yongki; Mallik, Sanku

2018-03-01

Often cancer relapses after an initial response to chemotherapy because of the tumor's heterogeneity and the presence of progenitor stem cells, which can renew. To overcome drug resistance, metastasis, and relapse in cancer, a promising approach is the inhibition of cancer stemness. In this study, the expression of the neuropilin-1 receptor in both pancreatic and prostate cancer stem cells was identified and targeted with a stimuli-responsive, polymeric nanocarrier to deliver a stemness inhibitor (napabucasin) to cancer stem cells. Reduction-sensitive amphiphilic block copolymers PEG 1900 -S-S-PLA 6000 and the N 3 -PEG 1900 -PLA 6000 were synthesized. The tumor penetrating iRGD peptide-hexynoic acid conjugate was linked to the N 3 -PEG 1900 -PLA 6000 polymer via a Cu 2+ catalyzed "Click" reaction. Subsequently, this peptide-polymer conjugate was incorporated into polymersomes for tumor targeting and tissue penetration. We prepared polymersomes containing 85% PEG 1900 -S-S-PLA 6000 , 10% iRGD-polymer conjugate, and 5% DPPE-lissamine rhodamine dye. The iRGD targeted polymersomes encapsulating the cancer stemness inhibitor napabucasin were internalized in both prostate and pancreatic cancer stem cells. The napabucasin encapsulated polymersomes significantly (p < .05) reduced the viability of both prostate and pancreatic cancer stem cells and decreased the stemness protein expression notch-1 and nanog compared to the control and vesicles without any drug. The napabucasin encapsulated polymersome formulations have the potential to lead to a new direction in prostate and pancreatic cancer therapy by penetrating deeply into the tumors, releasing the encapsulated stemness inhibitor, and killing cancer stem cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sequence-Specific Model for Peptide Retention Time Prediction in Strong Cation Exchange Chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Gussakovsky, Daniel; Neustaeter, Haley; Spicer, Victor; Krokhin, Oleg V

2017-11-07

The development of a peptide retention prediction model for strong cation exchange (SCX) separation on a Polysulfoethyl A column is reported. Off-line 2D LC-MS/MS analysis (SCX-RPLC) of S. cerevisiae whole cell lysate was used to generate a retention dataset of ∼30 000 peptides, sufficient for identifying the major sequence-specific features of peptide retention mechanisms in SCX. In contrast to RPLC/hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) separation modes, where retention is driven by hydrophobic/hydrophilic contributions of all individual residues, SCX interactions depend mainly on peptide charge (number of basic residues at acidic pH) and size. An additive model (incorporating the contributions of all 20 residues into the peptide retention) combined with a peptide length correction produces a 0.976 R 2 value prediction accuracy, significantly higher than the additive models for either HILIC or RPLC. Position-dependent effects on peptide retention for different residues were driven by the spatial orientation of tryptic peptides upon interaction with the negatively charged surface functional groups. The positively charged N-termini serve as a primary point of interaction. For example, basic residues (Arg, His, Lys) increase peptide retention when located closer to the N-terminus. We also found that hydrophobic interactions, which could lead to a mixed-mode separation mechanism, are largely suppressed at 20-30% of acetonitrile in the eluent. The accuracy of the final Sequence-Specific Retention Calculator (SSRCalc) SCX model (∼0.99 R 2 value) exceeds all previously reported predictors for peptide LC separations. This also provides a solid platform for method development in 2D LC-MS protocols in proteomics and peptide retention prediction filtering of false positive identifications.

Designer interface peptide grafts target estrogen receptor alpha dimerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakraborty, S.; Asare, B.K.; Biswas, P.K.; Rajnarayanan, R.V.

2016-01-01

The nuclear transcription factor estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), triggered by its cognate ligand estrogen, regulates a variety of cellular signaling events. ERα is expressed in 70% of breast cancers and is a widely validated target for anti-breast cancer drug discovery. Administration of anti-estrogen to block estrogen receptor activation is still a viable anti-breast cancer treatment option but anti-estrogen resistance has been a significant bottle-neck. Dimerization of estrogen receptor is required for ER activation. Blocking ERα dimerization is therefore a complementary and alternative strategy to combat anti-estrogen resistance. Dimer interface peptide “I-box” derived from ER residues 503–518 specifically blocks ER dimerization. Recently using a comprehensive molecular simulation we studied the interaction dynamics of ERα LBDs in a homo-dimer. Based on this study, we identified three interface recognition peptide motifs LDKITDT (ERα residues 479–485), LQQQHQRLAQ (residues 497–506), and LSHIRHMSNK (residues 511–520) and reported the suitability of using LQQQHQRLAQ (ER 497–506) as a template to design inhibitors of ERα dimerization. Stability and self-aggregation of peptide based therapeutics poses a significant bottle-neck to proceed further. In this study utilizing peptide grafted to preserve their pharmacophoric recognition motif and assessed their stability and potential to block ERα mediated activity in silico and in vitro. The Grafted peptides blocked ERα mediated cell proliferation and viability of breast cancer cells but did not alter their apoptotic fate. We believe the structural clues identified in this study can be used to identify novel peptidometics and small molecules that specifically target ER dimer interface generating a new breed of anti-cancer agents. - Highlights: • Designer peptide grafts retain core molecular recognition motif during MD simulations. • Designer peptide grafts with Poly-ALA helix form stable

Designer interface peptide grafts target estrogen receptor alpha dimerization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chakraborty, S. [Laboratory of Computational Biophysics & Bioengineering, Department of Physics, Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS 39174 (United States); Asare, B.K. [Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214 (United States); Biswas, P.K., E-mail: pbiswas@tougaloo.edu [Laboratory of Computational Biophysics & Bioengineering, Department of Physics, Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS 39174 (United States); Rajnarayanan, R.V., E-mail: rajendra@buffalo.edu [Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214 (United States)

2016-09-09

The nuclear transcription factor estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), triggered by its cognate ligand estrogen, regulates a variety of cellular signaling events. ERα is expressed in 70% of breast cancers and is a widely validated target for anti-breast cancer drug discovery. Administration of anti-estrogen to block estrogen receptor activation is still a viable anti-breast cancer treatment option but anti-estrogen resistance has been a significant bottle-neck. Dimerization of estrogen receptor is required for ER activation. Blocking ERα dimerization is therefore a complementary and alternative strategy to combat anti-estrogen resistance. Dimer interface peptide “I-box” derived from ER residues 503–518 specifically blocks ER dimerization. Recently using a comprehensive molecular simulation we studied the interaction dynamics of ERα LBDs in a homo-dimer. Based on this study, we identified three interface recognition peptide motifs LDKITDT (ERα residues 479–485), LQQQHQRLAQ (residues 497–506), and LSHIRHMSNK (residues 511–520) and reported the suitability of using LQQQHQRLAQ (ER 497–506) as a template to design inhibitors of ERα dimerization. Stability and self-aggregation of peptide based therapeutics poses a significant bottle-neck to proceed further. In this study utilizing peptide grafted to preserve their pharmacophoric recognition motif and assessed their stability and potential to block ERα mediated activity in silico and in vitro. The Grafted peptides blocked ERα mediated cell proliferation and viability of breast cancer cells but did not alter their apoptotic fate. We believe the structural clues identified in this study can be used to identify novel peptidometics and small molecules that specifically target ER dimer interface generating a new breed of anti-cancer agents. - Highlights: • Designer peptide grafts retain core molecular recognition motif during MD simulations. • Designer peptide grafts with Poly-ALA helix form stable

Glucagon-like peptide receptor agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in the treatment of diabetes: a review of clinical trials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsbad, Sten; Krarup, Thure; Deacon, Carolyn F

2008-01-01

-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists liraglutide and exenatide long-acting release reduce haemoglobin A1c by about 1.0-2.0% and have fewer gastrointestinal side-effects. The orally available dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, that is sitagliptin and vildagliptin reduce haemoglobin A1c by 0...

A liver metalloendopeptidase which degrades the circulating hypotensive peptide hormones bradykinin and atrial natriuretic peptide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carvalho K.M.

1999-01-01

Full Text Available A new metalloendopeptidase was purified to apparent homogeneity from a homogenate of normal human liver using successive steps of chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, hydroxyapatite and Sephacryl S-200. The purified enzyme hydrolyzed the Pro7-Phe8 bond of bradykinin and the Ser25-Tyr26 bond of atrial natriuretic peptide. No cleavage was produced in other peptide hormones such as vasopressin, oxytocin or Met- and Leu-enkephalin. This enzyme activity was inhibited by 1 mM divalent cation chelators such as EDTA, EGTA and o-phenanthroline and was insensitive to 1 µM phosphoramidon and captopril, specific inhibitors of neutral endopeptidase (EC 3.4.24.11 and angiotensin-converting enzyme (EC 3.4.15.1, respectively. With Mr 85 kDa, the enzyme exhibits optimal activity at pH 7.5. The high affinity of this endopeptidase for bradykinin (Km = 10 µM and for atrial natriuretic peptide (Km = 5 µM suggests that it may play a physiological role in the inactivation of these circulating hypotensive peptide hormones.

Cell penetrating peptides to dissect host-pathogen protein-protein interactions in Theileria -transformed leukocytes

KAUST Repository

Haidar, Malak; de Laté , Perle Latré ; Kennedy, Eileen J.; Langsley, Gordon

2017-01-01

One powerful application of cell penetrating peptides is the delivery into cells of molecules that function as specific competitors or inhibitors of protein-protein interactions. Ablating defined protein-protein interactions is a refined way

Two-dimensional NMR studies of squash family inhibitors. Sequence-specific proton assignments and secondary structure of reactive-site hydrolyzed Cucurbita maxima trypsin inhibitor III.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnamoorthi, R; Gong, Y X; Lin, C L; VanderVelde, D

1992-01-28

The solution structure of reactive-site hydrolyzed Cucurbita maxima trypsin inhibitor III (CMTI-III*) was investigated by two-dimensional proton nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR) spectroscopy. CMTI-III*, prepared by reacting CMTI-III with trypsin which cleaved the Arg5-Ile6 peptide bond, had the two fragments held together by a disulfide linkage. Sequence-specific 1H NMR resonance assignments were made for all the 29 amino acid residues of the protein. The secondary structure of CMTI-III*, as deduced from NOESY cross peaks and identification of slowly exchanging hydrogens, contains two turns (residues 8-12 and 24-27), a 3(10)-helix (residues 13-16), and a triple-stranded beta-sheet (residues 8-10, 29-27, and 21-25). This secondary structure is similar to that of CMTI-I [Holak, T. A., Gondol, D., Otlewski, J., & Wilusz, T. (1989) J. Mol. Biol. 210, 635-648], which has a Glu instead of a Lys at position 9. Sequential proton assignments were also made for the virgin inhibitor, CMTI-III, at pH 4.71, 30 degrees C. Comparison of backbone hydrogen chemical shifts of CMTI-III and CMTI-III* revealed significant changes for residues located far away from the reactive-site region as well as for those located near it, indicating tertiary structural changes that are transmitted through most of the 29 residues of the inhibitor protein. Many of these residues are functionally important in that they make contact with atoms of the enzyme in the trypsin-inhibitor complex, as revealed by X-ray crystallography [Bode, W., Greyling, H. J., Huber, R., Otlewski, J., & Wilusz, T. (1989) FEBS Lett. 242, 285-292].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Emulsified phosphatidylserine, simple and effective peptide carrier for induction of potent epitope-specific T cell responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Ichihashi, Toru; Satoh, Toshifumi; Sugimoto, Chihiro; Kajino, Kiichi

2013-01-01

To induce potent epitope-specific T cell immunity by a peptide-based vaccine, epitope peptides must be delivered efficiently to antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in vivo. Therefore, selecting an appropriate peptide carrier is crucial for the development of an effective peptide vaccine. In this study, we explored new peptide carriers which show enhancement in cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) induction capability. Data from an epitope-specific in vivo CTL assay revealed that phosphatidylserine (PS) has a potent adjuvant effect among candidate materials tested. Further analyses showed that PS-conjugated antigens were preferentially and efficiently captured by professional APCs, in particular, by CD11c(+)CD11b(+)MHCII(+) conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) compared to multilamellar liposome-conjugates or unconjugated antigens. In addition, PS demonstrated the stimulatory capacity of peptide-specific helper T cells in vivo. This work indicates that PS is the easily preparable efficient carrier with a simple structure that delivers antigen to professional APCs effectively and induce both helper and cytotoxic T cell responses in vivo. Therefore, PS is a promising novel adjuvant for T cell-inducing peptide vaccines.

LC-MS/MS Identification of Species-Specific Muscle Peptides in Processed Animal Proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Marchis, Daniela; Altomare, Alessandra; Gili, Marilena; Ostorero, Federica; Khadjavi, Amina; Corona, Cristiano; Ru, Giuseppe; Cappelletti, Benedetta; Gianelli, Silvia; Amadeo, Francesca; Rumio, Cristiano; Carini, Marina; Aldini, Giancarlo; Casalone, Cristina

2017-12-06

An innovative analytical strategy has been applied to identify signature peptides able to distinguish among processed animal proteins (PAPs) derived from bovine, pig, fish, and milk products. Proteomics was first used to elucidate the proteome of each source. Starting from the identified proteins and using a funnel based approach, a set of abundant and well characterized peptides with suitable physical-chemical properties (signature peptides) and specific for each source was selected. An on-target LC-ESI-MS/MS method (MRM mode) was set up using standard peptides and was then applied to selectively identify the PAP source and also to distinguish proteins from bovine carcass and milk proteins. We believe that the method described meets the request of the European Commission which has developed a strategy for gradually lifting the "total ban" toward "species to species ban", therefore requiring official methods for species-specific discrimination in feed.

T-cell libraries allow simple parallel generation of multiple peptide-specific human T-cell clones.

Science.gov (United States)

Theaker, Sarah M; Rius, Cristina; Greenshields-Watson, Alexander; Lloyd, Angharad; Trimby, Andrew; Fuller, Anna; Miles, John J; Cole, David K; Peakman, Mark; Sewell, Andrew K; Dolton, Garry

2016-03-01

Isolation of peptide-specific T-cell clones is highly desirable for determining the role of T-cells in human disease, as well as for the development of therapies and diagnostics. However, generation of monoclonal T-cells with the required specificity is challenging and time-consuming. Here we describe a library-based strategy for the simple parallel detection and isolation of multiple peptide-specific human T-cell clones from CD8(+) or CD4(+) polyclonal T-cell populations. T-cells were first amplified by CD3/CD28 microbeads in a 96U-well library format, prior to screening for desired peptide recognition. T-cells from peptide-reactive wells were then subjected to cytokine-mediated enrichment followed by single-cell cloning, with the entire process from sample to validated clone taking as little as 6 weeks. Overall, T-cell libraries represent an efficient and relatively rapid tool for the generation of peptide-specific T-cell clones, with applications shown here in infectious disease (Epstein-Barr virus, influenza A, and Ebola virus), autoimmunity (type 1 diabetes) and cancer. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Peptide Inhibitor of Complement C1 (PIC1 Rapidly Inhibits Complement Activation after Intravascular Injection in Rats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia A Sharp

Full Text Available The complement system has been increasingly recognized to play a pivotal role in a variety of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Consequently, therapeutic modulators of the classical, lectin and alternative pathways of the complement system are currently in pre-clinical and clinical development. Our laboratory has identified a peptide that specifically inhibits the classical and lectin pathways of complement and is referred to as Peptide Inhibitor of Complement C1 (PIC1. In this study, we determined that the lead PIC1 variant demonstrates a salt-dependent binding to C1q, the initiator molecule of the classical pathway. Additionally, this peptide bound to the lectin pathway initiator molecule MBL as well as the ficolins H, M and L, suggesting a common mechanism of PIC1 inhibitory activity occurs via binding to the collagen-like tails of these collectin molecules. We further analyzed the effect of arginine and glutamic acid residue substitution on the complement inhibitory activity of our lead derivative in a hemolytic assay and found that the original sequence demonstrated superior inhibitory activity. To improve upon the solubility of the lead derivative, a pegylated, water soluble variant was developed, structurally characterized and demonstrated to inhibit complement activation in mouse plasma, as well as rat, non-human primate and human serum in vitro. After intravenous injection in rats, the pegylated derivative inhibited complement activation in the blood by 90% after 30 seconds, demonstrating extremely rapid function. Additionally, no adverse toxicological effects were observed in limited testing. Together these results show that PIC1 rapidly inhibits classical complement activation in vitro and in vivo and is functional for a variety of animal species, suggesting its utility in animal models of classical complement-mediated diseases.

Towards generation of bioactive peptides from meat industry waste proteins: Generation of peptides using commercial microbial proteases.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryder, Kate; Bekhit, Alaa El-Din; McConnell, Michelle; Carne, Alan

2016-10-01

Five commercially available food-grade microbial protease preparations were evaluated for their ability to hydrolyse meat myofibrillar and connective tissue protein extracts to produce bioactive peptides. A bacterial-derived protease (HT) extensively hydrolysed both meat protein extracts, producing peptide hydrolysates with significant in vitro antioxidant and ACE inhibitor activities. The hydrolysates retained bioactivity after simulated gastrointestinal hydrolysis challenge. Gel permeation chromatography sub-fractionation of the crude protein hydrolysates showed that the smaller peptide fractions exhibited the highest antioxidant and ACE inhibitor activities. OFFGEL electrophoresis of the small peptides of both hydrolysates showed that low isoelectric point peptides had antioxidant activity; however, no consistent relationship was observed between isoelectric point and ACE inhibition. Cell-based assays indicated that the hydrolysates present no significant cytotoxicity towards Vero cells. The results indicate that HT protease hydrolysis of meat myofibrillar and connective tissue protein extracts produces bioactive peptides that are non-cytotoxic, should be stable in the gastrointestinal tract and may contain novel bioactive peptide sequences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Discovery of DNA repair inhibitors by combinatorial library profiling

Science.gov (United States)

Moeller, Benjamin J.; Sidman, Richard L.; Pasqualini, Renata; Arap, Wadih

2011-01-01

Small molecule inhibitors of DNA repair are emerging as potent and selective anti-cancer therapies, but the sheer magnitude of the protein networks involved in DNA repair processes poses obstacles to discovery of effective candidate drugs. To address this challenge, we used a subtractive combinatorial selection approach to identify a panel of peptide ligands that bind DNA repair complexes. Supporting the concept that these ligands have therapeutic potential, we show that one selected peptide specifically binds and non-competitively inactivates DNA-PKcs, a protein kinase critical in double-strand DNA break repair. In doing so, this ligand sensitizes BRCA-deficient tumor cells to genotoxic therapy. Our findings establish a platform for large-scale parallel screening for ligand-directed DNA repair inhibitors, with immediate applicability to cancer therapy. PMID:21343400

Peptide Based Radiopharmaceuticals: Specific Construct Approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Som, P; Rhodes, B A; Sharma, S S

1997-10-21

The objective of this project was to develop receptor based peptides for diagnostic imaging and therapy. A series of peptides related to cell adhesion molecules (CAM) and immune regulation were designed for radiolabeling with ^99mTc and evaluated in animal models as potential diagnostic imaging agents for various disease conditions such as thrombus (clot), acute kidney failure, and inflection/inflammation imaging. The peptides for this project were designed by the industrial partner, Palatin Technologies, (formerly Rhomed, Inc.) using various peptide design approaches including a newly developed rational computer assisted drug design (CADD) approach termed MIDAS (Metal ion Induced Distinctive Array of Structures). In this approach, the biological function domain and the ^99mTc complexing domain are fused together so that structurally these domains are indistinguishable. This approach allows construction of conformationally rigid metallo-peptide molecules (similar to cyclic peptides) that are metabolically stable in-vivo. All the newly designed peptides were screened in various in vitro receptor binding and functional assays to identify a lead compound. The lead compounds were formulated in a one-step ^99mTc labeling kit form which were studied by BNL for detailed in-vivo imaging using various animals models of human disease. Two main peptides usingMIDAS approach evolved and were investigated: RGD peptide for acute renal failure and an immunomodulatory peptide derived from tuftsin (RMT-1) for infection/inflammation imaging. Various RGD based metallopeptides were designed, synthesized and assayed for their efficacy in inhibiting ADP-induced human platelet aggregation. Most of these peptides displayed biological activity in the 1-100 µM range. Based on previous work by others, RGD-I and RGD-II were evaluated in animal models of acute renal failure. These earlier studies showed that after acute ischemic injury the renal cortex displays

Anti-Hemagglutinin Antibody Derived Lead Peptides for Inhibitors of Influenza Virus Binding.

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Henry Memczak

Full Text Available Antibodies against spike proteins of influenza are used as a tool for characterization of viruses and therapeutic approaches. However, development, production and quality control of antibodies is expensive and time consuming. To circumvent these difficulties, three peptides were derived from complementarity determining regions of an antibody heavy chain against influenza A spike glycoprotein. Their binding properties were studied experimentally, and by molecular dynamics simulations. Two peptide candidates showed binding to influenza A/Aichi/2/68 H3N2. One of them, termed PeB, with the highest affinity prevented binding to and infection of target cells in the micromolar region without any cytotoxic effect. PeB matches best the conserved receptor binding site of hemagglutinin. PeB bound also to other medical relevant influenza strains, such as human-pathogenic A/California/7/2009 H1N1, and avian-pathogenic A/Mute Swan/Rostock/R901/2006 H7N1. Strategies to improve the affinity and to adapt specificity are discussed and exemplified by a double amino acid substituted peptide, obtained by substitutional analysis. The peptides and their derivatives are of great potential for drug development as well as biosensing.

Emulsified phosphatidylserine, simple and effective peptide carrier for induction of potent epitope-specific T cell responses.

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Toru Ichihashi

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: To induce potent epitope-specific T cell immunity by a peptide-based vaccine, epitope peptides must be delivered efficiently to antigen-presenting cells (APCs in vivo. Therefore, selecting an appropriate peptide carrier is crucial for the development of an effective peptide vaccine. In this study, we explored new peptide carriers which show enhancement in cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL induction capability. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Data from an epitope-specific in vivo CTL assay revealed that phosphatidylserine (PS has a potent adjuvant effect among candidate materials tested. Further analyses showed that PS-conjugated antigens were preferentially and efficiently captured by professional APCs, in particular, by CD11c(+CD11b(+MHCII(+ conventional dendritic cells (cDCs compared to multilamellar liposome-conjugates or unconjugated antigens. In addition, PS demonstrated the stimulatory capacity of peptide-specific helper T cells in vivo. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This work indicates that PS is the easily preparable efficient carrier with a simple structure that delivers antigen to professional APCs effectively and induce both helper and cytotoxic T cell responses in vivo. Therefore, PS is a promising novel adjuvant for T cell-inducing peptide vaccines.

Dengue Virus NS2B/NS3 Protease Inhibitors Exploiting the Prime Side.

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Lin, Kuan-Hung; Ali, Akbar; Rusere, Linah; Soumana, Djade I; Kurt Yilmaz, Nese; Schiffer, Celia A

2017-05-15

The mosquito-transmitted dengue virus (DENV) infects millions of people in tropical and subtropical regions. Maturation of DENV particles requires proper cleavage of the viral polyprotein, including processing of 8 of the 13 substrate cleavage sites by dengue virus NS2B/NS3 protease. With no available direct-acting antiviral targeting DENV, NS2/NS3 protease is a promising target for inhibitor design. Current design efforts focus on the nonprime side of the DENV protease active site, resulting in highly hydrophilic and nonspecific scaffolds. However, the prime side also significantly modulates DENV protease binding affinity, as revealed by engineering the binding loop of aprotinin, a small protein with high affinity for DENV protease. In this study, we designed a series of cyclic peptides interacting with both sides of the active site as inhibitors of dengue virus protease. The design was based on two aprotinin loops and aimed to leverage both key specific interactions of substrate sequences and the entropic advantage driving aprotinin's high affinity. By optimizing the cyclization linker, length, and amino acid sequence, the tightest cyclic peptide achieved a K i value of 2.9 μM against DENV3 wild-type (WT) protease. These inhibitors provide proof of concept that both sides of DENV protease active site can be exploited to potentially achieve specificity and lower hydrophilicity in the design of inhibitors targeting DENV. IMPORTANCE Viruses of the flaviviral family, including DENV and Zika virus transmitted by Aedes aegypti , continue to be a threat to global health by causing major outbreaks in tropical and subtropical regions, with no available direct-acting antivirals for treatment. A better understanding of the molecular requirements for the design of potent and specific inhibitors against flaviviral proteins will contribute to the development of targeted therapies for infections by these viruses. The cyclic peptides reported here as DENV protease inhibitors

Porcine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules and analysis of their peptide-binding specificities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Lasse Eggers; Harndahl, Mikkel; Rasmussen, Michael

2011-01-01

a HLA-I molecule (HLA-A*11:01), thereby generating recombinant human/swine chimeric MHC-I molecules as well as the intact SLA-1*0401 molecule. Biochemical peptide-binding assays and positional scanning combinatorial peptide libraries were used to analyze the peptide-binding motifs of these molecules....... A pan-specific predictor of peptide–MHC-I binding, NetMHCpan, which was originally developed to cover the binding specificities of all known HLA-I molecules, was successfully used to predict the specificities of the SLA-1*0401 molecule as well as the porcine/human chimeric MHC-I molecules. These data......In all vertebrate animals, CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are controlled by major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules. These are highly polymorphic peptide receptors selecting and presenting endogenously derived epitopes to circulating CTLs. The polymorphism of the MHC...

Peptide inhibitors of appressorium development in Glomerella cingulata.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Samarrai, Taha H; Sullivan, Patrick A; Templeton, Matthew D; Farley, Peter C

2002-04-09

The phytopathogen Glomerella cingulata (anamorph: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) infects host tissue by means of a specialised infection structure, the appressorium. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha-mating factor pheromone, the Saccharomyces kluyveri alpha-mating factor pheromone and a hendecapeptide produced by G. cingulata inhibit appressorium development. The amino acid sequence of the G. cingulata peptide, GYFSYPHGNLF, is different from that of the mature pheromone peptides of other filamentous fungi. The peptide has sequence similarity with the Saccharomyces alpha-mating factor pheromones, but is unable to elicit growth arrest in S. cerevisiae.

Comparative in vitro activities of investigational peptide deformylase inhibitor NVP LBM-415 and other agents against human mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas.

Science.gov (United States)

Waites, Ken B; Reddy, Nipun B; Crabb, Donna M; Duffy, Lynn B

2005-06-01

Peptide deformylase inhibitor LBM-415 and seven other drugs were tested against Mycoplasma pneumoniae (100 isolates), Mycoplasma hominis (20 isolates), Mycoplasma fermentans (10 isolates), and Ureaplasma species (50 isolates). LBM-415 was active against M. pneumoniae (MICs,

A nanoengineered peptidic delivery system with specificity for human brain capillary endothelial cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Linping; Moghimi, Seyed Moein

2016-01-01

, without manipulating the integrity of the BBB. This may be achieved by simultaneous and appropriate nanoparticle surface decoration with polymers that protect nanoparticles against rapid interception by body's defenses and ligands specific for cerebral capillary endothelial cells. To date, the binding...... avidity of the majority of the so-called ‘brain-specific’ nanoparticles to the brain capillary endothelial cells has been poor, even during in vitro conditions. We have addressed this issue and designed a versatile peptidic nanoplatform with high binding avidity to the human cerebral capillary endothelial...... cells. This was achieved by selecting an appropriate phage-derived peptide with high specificity for human brain capillary endothelial cells, which following careful structural modifications spontaneously formed a nanoparticle-fiber network. The peptidic network was characterized fully and its uptake...

Dual-functioning peptides discovered by phage display increase the magnitude and specificity of BMSC attachment to mineralized biomaterials.

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Ramaraju, Harsha; Miller, Sharon J; Kohn, David H

2017-07-01

Design of biomaterials for cell-based therapies requires presentation of specific physical and chemical cues to cells, analogous to cues provided by native extracellular matrices (ECM). We previously identified a peptide sequence with high affinity towards apatite (VTKHLNQISQSY, VTK) using phage display. The aims of this study were to identify a human MSC-specific peptide sequence through phage display, combine it with the apatite-specific sequence, and verify the specificity of the combined dual-functioning peptide to both apatite and human bone marrow stromal cells. In this study, a combinatorial phage display identified the cell binding sequence (DPIYALSWSGMA, DPI) which was combined with the mineral binding sequence to generate the dual peptide DPI-VTK. DPI-VTK demonstrated significantly greater binding affinity (1/K D ) to apatite surfaces compared to VTK, phosphorylated VTK (VTK phos ), DPI-VTK phos , RGD-VTK, and peptide-free apatite surfaces (p biomaterial surfaces and subsequently increase cell proliferation and differentiation. These new peptides expand biomaterial design methodology for cell-based regeneration of bone defects. This strategy of combining cell and material binding phage display derived peptides is broadly applicable to a variety of systems requiring targeted adhesion of specific cell populations, and may be generalized to the engineering of any adhesion surface. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of peptide designing strategy against subunit reassociation in mucin 1: A steered molecular dynamics approach.

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J Lesitha Jeeva Kumari

Full Text Available Subunit reassociation in mucin 1, a breast cancer tumor marker, is reported as one of the critical factors for its cytoplasmic activation. Inhibition of its heterodimeric association would therefore result in loss of its function and alter disease progression. The present study aimed at evaluating peptide inhibitor designing strategies that may serve as antagonist against this receptor-ligand alliance. Several peptides and their derivatives were designed based on native residues, subunit interface, hydrogen bonding and secondary structure. Docking studies with the peptides were carried on the receptor subunit and their binding affinities were evaluated using steered molecular dynamics simulation and umbrella sampling. Our results showed that among all the different classes of peptides evaluated, the receptor based peptide showed the highest binding affinity. This result was concurrent with the experimental observation that the receptor-ligand alliance in mucin 1 is highly specific. Our results also show that peptide ligand against this subunit association is only stabilized through native residue inter-protein interaction irrespective of the peptide structure, peptide length and number of hydrogen bonds. Consistency in binding affinity, pull force and free energy barrier was observed with only the receptor derived peptides which resulted in favorable interprotein interactions at the interface. Several observations were made and discussed which will eventually lead to designing efficient peptide inhibitors against mucin 1 heterodimeric subunit reassociation.

Ligand and Structure-Based Approaches for the Identification of Peptide Deformylase Inhibitors as Antibacterial Drugs.

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Gao, Jian; Liang, Li; Zhu, Yasheng; Qiu, Shengzhi; Wang, Tao; Zhang, Ling

2016-07-15

Peptide deformylase (PDF) is a metalloprotease catalyzing the removal of a formyl group from newly synthesized proteins, which makes it an important antibacterial drug target. Given the importance of PDF inhibitors like actinonin in antibacterial drug discovery, several reported potent PDF inhibitors were used to develop pharmacophore models using the Galahad module of Sybyl 7.1 software. Generated pharmacophore models were composed of two donor atom centers, four acceptor atom centers and two hydrophobic groups. Model-1 was screened against the Zinc database and several compounds were retrieved as hits. Compounds with Qfit values of more than 60 were employed to perform a molecular docking study with the receptor Escherichia coli PDF, then compounds with docking score values of more than 6 were used to predict the in silico pharmacokinetic and toxicity risk via OSIRIS property explorer. Two known PDF inhibitors were also used to perform a molecular docking study with E. coli PDF as reference molecules. The results of the molecular docking study were validated by reproducing the crystal structure of actinonin. Molecular docking and in silico pharmacokinetic and toxicity prediction studies suggested that ZINC08740166 has a relatively high docking score of 7.44 and a drug score of 0.78.

Macrocyclic peptide inhibitors for the protein-protein interaction of Zaire Ebola virus protein 24 and karyopherin alpha 5.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xiao; Lu, Lu-Yi; Passioura, Toby; Suga, Hiroaki

2017-06-21

Ebola virus infection leads to severe hemorrhagic fever in human and non-human primates with an average case fatality rate of 50%. To date, numerous potential therapies are in development, but FDA-approved drugs or vaccines are yet unavailable. Ebola viral protein 24 (VP24) is a multifunctional protein that plays critical roles in the pathogenesis of Ebola virus infection, e.g. innate immune suppression by blocking the interaction between KPNA and PY-STAT1. Here we report macrocyclic peptide inhibitors of the VP24-KPNA5 protein-protein interaction (PPI) by means of the RaPID (Random non-standard Peptides Integrated Discovery) system. These macrocyclic peptides showed remarkably high affinity to recombinant Zaire Ebola virus VP24 (eVP24), with a dissociation constant in the single digit nanomolar range, and could also successfully disrupt the eVP24-KPNA interaction. This work provides for the first time a chemical probe capable of modulating this PPI interaction and is the starting point for the development of unique anti-viral drugs against the Ebola virus.

A MAM7 peptide-based inhibitor of Staphylococcus aureus adhesion does not interfere with in vitro host cell function.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine Alice Hawley

Full Text Available Adhesion inhibitors that block the attachment of pathogens to host tissues may be used synergistically with or as an alternative to antibiotics. The wide-spread bacterial adhesin Multivalent Adhesion Molecule (MAM 7 has recently emerged as a candidate molecule for a broad-spectrum adhesion inhibitor which may be used to prevent bacterial colonization of wounds. Here we have tested if the antibacterial properties of a MAM-based inhibitor could be used to competitively inhibit adhesion of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA to host cells. Additionally, we analyzed its effect on host cellular functions linked to the host receptor fibronectin, such as migration, adhesion and matrix formation in vitro, to evaluate potential side effects prior to advancing our studies to in vivo infection models. As controls, we used inhibitors based on well-characterized bacterial adhesin-derived peptides from F1 and FnBPA, which are known to affect host cellular functions. Inhibitors based on F1 or FnBPA blocked MRSA attachment but at the same time abrogated important cellular functions. A MAM7-based inhibitor did not interfere with host cell function while showing good efficacy against MRSA adhesion in a tissue culture model. These observations provide a possible candidate for a bacterial adhesion inhibitor that does not cause adverse effects on host cells while preventing bacterial infection.

Effects of sequence changes in the HIV-1 gp41 fusion peptide on CCR5 inhibitor resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anastassopoulou, Cleo G.; Ketas, Thomas J.; Sanders, Rogier W.; Johan Klasse, Per; Moore, John P.

2012-01-01

A rare pathway of HIV-1 resistance to small molecule CCR5 inhibitors such as Vicriviroc (VCV) involves changes solely in the gp41 fusion peptide (FP). Here, we show that the G516V change is critical to VCV resistance in PBMC and TZM-bl cells, although it must be accompanied by either M518V or F519I to have a substantial impact. Modeling VCV inhibition data from the two cell types indicated that G516V allows both double mutants to use VCV-CCR5 complexes for entry. The model further identified F519I as an independent determinant of preference for the unoccupied, high-VCV affinity form of CCR5. From inhibitor-free reversion cultures, we also identified a substitution in the inner domain of gp120, T244A, which appears to counter the resistance phenotype created by the FP substitutions. Examining the interplay of these changes will enhance our understanding of Env complex interactions that influence both HIV-1 entry and resistance to CCR5 inhibitors.

Non-peptidic cruzain inhibitors with trypanocidal activity discovered by virtual screening and in vitro assay.

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Helton J Wiggers

(compound Nequimed176 is highlighted as a novel non-peptidic, non-covalent cruzain inhibitor as a trypanocidal agent candidate for optimization.

Non-peptidic cruzain inhibitors with trypanocidal activity discovered by virtual screening and in vitro assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiggers, Helton J; Rocha, Josmar R; Fernandes, William B; Sesti-Costa, Renata; Carneiro, Zumira A; Cheleski, Juliana; da Silva, Albérico B F; Juliano, Luiz; Cezari, Maria H S; Silva, João S; McKerrow, James H; Montanari, Carlos A

2013-01-01

Nequimed176) is highlighted as a novel non-peptidic, non-covalent cruzain inhibitor as a trypanocidal agent candidate for optimization.

Conformational Restriction of Peptides Using Dithiol Bis-Alkylation.

Science.gov (United States)

Peraro, L; Siegert, T R; Kritzer, J A

2016-01-01

Macrocyclic peptides are highly promising as inhibitors of protein-protein interactions. While many bond-forming reactions can be used to make cyclic peptides, most have limitations that make this chemical space challenging to access. Recently, a variety of cysteine alkylation reactions have been used in rational design and library approaches for cyclic peptide discovery and development. We and others have found that this chemistry is versatile and robust enough to produce a large variety of conformationally constrained cyclic peptides. In this chapter, we describe applications, methods, mechanistic insights, and troubleshooting for dithiol bis-alkylation reactions for the production of cyclic peptides. This method for efficient solution-phase macrocyclization is highly useful for the rapid production and screening of loop-based inhibitors of protein-protein interactions. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rapid Analysis of Protein Farnesyltransferase Substrate Specificity Using Peptide Libraries and Isoprenoid Diphosphate Analogues

OpenAIRE

Wang, Yen-Chih; Dozier, Jonathan K.; Beese, Lorena S.; Distefano, Mark D.

2014-01-01

Protein farnesytransferase (PFTase) catalyzes the farnesylation of proteins with a carboxy-terminal tetrapeptide sequence denoted as a Ca1a2X box. To explore the specificity of this enzyme, an important therapeutic target, solid-phase peptide synthesis in concert with a peptide inversion strategy was used to prepare two libraries, each containing 380 peptides. The libraries were screened using an alkyne-containing isoprenoid analogue followed by click chemistry with biotin azide and subsequen...

Matrix- and plasma-derived peptides promote tissue-specific injury responses and wound healing in diabetic swine.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheets, Anthony R; Massey, Conner J; Cronk, Stephen M; Iafrati, Mark D; Herman, Ira M

2016-07-02

, peptide treatment increases mRNA expression of several pro-angiogenic, epithelializing, and matrix-remodeling factors, importantly including balanced inductions in matrix metalloproteinase-2, -9, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1, lending further insight into their mechanisms. Comb1 and UN3 stimulate wound resolution in diabetic Yorkshire swine through upregulation of multiple reparative growth factors and cytokines, especially matrix metalloproteinases and inhibitors that may aid in reversing the proteolytic imbalance characteristic of chronically inflamed non-healing wounds. Together, these peptides should have great therapeutic potential for all patients in need of healing, regardless of injury etiology.

Human lactoferricin derived di-peptides deploying loop structures induce apoptosis specifically in cancer cells through targeting membranous phosphatidylserine.

Science.gov (United States)

Riedl, Sabrina; Leber, Regina; Rinner, Beate; Schaider, Helmut; Lohner, Karl; Zweytick, Dagmar

2015-11-01

Host defense-derived peptides have emerged as a novel strategy for the development of alternative anticancer therapies. In this study we report on characteristic features of human lactoferricin (hLFcin) derivatives which facilitate specific killing of cancer cells of melanoma, glioblastoma and rhabdomyosarcoma compared with non-specific derivatives and the synthetic peptide RW-AH. Changes in amino acid sequence of hLFcin providing 9-11 amino acids stretched derivatives LF11-316, -318 and -322 only yielded low antitumor activity. However, the addition of the repeat (di-peptide) and the retro-repeat (di-retro-peptide) sequences highly improved cancer cell toxicity up to 100% at 20 μM peptide concentration. Compared to the complete parent sequence hLFcin the derivatives showed toxicity on the melanoma cell line A375 increased by 10-fold and on the glioblastoma cell line U-87mg by 2-3-fold. Reduced killing velocity, apoptotic blebbing, activation of caspase 3/7 and formation of apoptotic DNA fragments proved that the active and cancer selective peptides, e.g. R-DIM-P-LF11-322, trigger apoptosis, whereas highly active, though non-selective peptides, such as DIM-LF11-318 and RW-AH seem to kill rapidly via necrosis inducing membrane lyses. Structural studies revealed specific toxicity on cancer cells by peptide derivatives with loop structures, whereas non-specific peptides comprised α-helical structures without loop. Model studies with the cancer membrane mimic phosphatidylserine (PS) gave strong evidence that PS only exposed by cancer cells is an important target for specific hLFcin derivatives. Other negatively charged membrane exposed molecules as sialic acid, heparan and chondroitin sulfate were shown to have minor impact on peptide activity. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Accessing Specific Peptide Recognition by Combinatorial Chemistry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Ming

Molecular recognition is at the basis of all processes for life, and plays a central role in many biological processes, such as protein folding, the structural organization of cells and organelles, signal transduction, and the immune response. Hence, my PhD project is entitled “Accessing Specific...... Peptide Recognition by Combinatorial Chemistry”. Molecular recognition is a specific interaction between two or more molecules through noncovalent bonding, such as hydrogen bonding, metal coordination, van der Waals forces, π−π, hydrophobic, or electrostatic interactions. The association involves kinetic....... Combinatorial chemistry was invented in 1980s based on observation of functional aspects of the adaptive immune system. It was employed for drug development and optimization in conjunction with high-throughput synthesis and screening. (chapter 2) Combinatorial chemistry is able to rapidly produce many thousands...

Bowman-Birk Protease Inhibitor from Vigna unguiculata Seeds Enhances the Action of Bradykinin-Related Peptides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alice da Cunha M. Álvares

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The hydrolysis of bradykinin (Bk by different classes of proteases in plasma and tissues leads to a decrease in its half-life. Here, Bk actions on smooth muscle and in vivo cardiovascular assays in association with a protease inhibitor, Black eyed-pea trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor (BTCI and also under the effect of trypsin and chymotrypsin were evaluated. Two synthetic Bk-related peptides, Bk1 and Bk2, were used to investigate the importance of additional C-terminal amino acid residues on serine protease activity. BTCI forms complexes with Bk and analogues at pH 5.0, 7.4 and 9.0, presenting binding constants ranging from 103 to 104 M−1. Formation of BTCI-Bk complexes is probably driven by hydrophobic forces, coupled with slight conformational changes in BTCI. In vitro assays using guinea pig (Cavia porcellus ileum showed that Bk retains the ability to induce smooth muscle contraction in the presence of BTCI. Moreover, no alteration in the inhibitory activity of BTCI in complex with Bk and analogous was observed. When the BTCI and BTCI-Bk complexes were tested in vivo, a decrease of vascular resistance and consequent hypotension and potentiating renal and aortic vasodilatation induced by Bk and Bk2 infusions was observed. These results indicate that BTCI-Bk complexes may be a reliable strategy to act as a carrier and protective approach for Bk-related peptides against plasma serine proteases cleavage, leading to an increase in their half-life. These findings also indicate that BTCI could remain stable in some tissues to inhibit chymotrypsin or trypsin-like enzymes that cleave and inactivate bradykinin in situ.

Characterization of the fine specificity of peptide antibodies to HLA-DQ beta-chain molecules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, J S; Atar, D; Karlsen, Alan E

1990-01-01

In an attempt to produce epitope specific antisera which could distinguish two closely associated HLA-DQ beta-chain alleles, we immunized 20 rabbits with synthetic peptides representing sequences from the first domain of the HLA-DQw8 and -DQw7 beta-chain molecules, differing only by one amino acid...... in position 57. Several of the antisera in immunoblotting specifically recognized either the HLA-DQw7 or the HLA-DQw8 beta-chain allele as previously reported. The fine specificity of the antisera was tested in ELISA using synthetic peptides of varying length as solid phase antigen. Two out of the 20 antisera...

Study of plasma binding of receptor-specific peptides

OpenAIRE

Gregor, David

2008-01-01

The binding ability of two receptor specific peptides namely 90Y-DOTA-TATE and 111In-DOTA-TATE was studied in therm of interspecies comparison by the method of equilibrium dialysis. This plasma protein binding was different for the chosen animal species (human, rat, rabbit, bovine eventually pork) whereas binding of 90Y-DOTA- TATE was higher than binding of 111In-DOTA-TATE. KEYWORDS: Protein binding, radiofarmaceuticals, equilibrium dialysis, 90Y-DOTA-TATE, 111In- DOTA-TATE

Trends in the Design and Development of Specific Aptamers Against Peptides and Proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabarzad, Maryam; Jafari, Marzieh

2016-04-01

Aptamers are single stranded oligonucleotides, comparable to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in selectivity and affinity and have significant strategic properties in design, development and applications more than mAbs. Ease of design and development, simple chemical modification and the attachment of functional groups, easily handling and more adaptability with analytical methods, small size and adaptation with nanostructures are the valuable characteristics of aptamers in comparison to large protein based ligands. Among a broad range of targets that their specific aptamers developed, proteins and peptides have significant position according to the number of related studies performed so far. Since proteins control many of important physiological and pathological incidents in the living organisms, particularly human beings and because of the benefits of aptamers in clinical and analytical applications, aptamer related technologies in the field of proteins and peptides are under progress, exclusively. Currently, there is only one FDA approved therapeutic aptamer in the pharmaceutical market, which is specific to vascular endothelial growth factor and is prescribed for age related macular degenerative disease. Additionally, there are several aptamers in the different phases of clinical trials. Almost all of these aptamers are specific to clinically important peptide or protein targets. In addition, the application of protein specific aptamers in the design and development of targeted drug delivery systems and diagnostic biosensors is another interesting field of aptamer technology. In this review, significant efforts related to development and applications of aptamer technologies in proteins and peptides sciences were considered to emphasis on the importance of aptamers in medicinal and clinical applications.

Generation in vivo of peptide-specific cytotoxic T cells and presence of regulatory T cells during vaccination with hTERT (class I and II peptide-pulsed DCs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satthaporn Sukchai

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Optimal techniques for DC generation for immunotherapy in cancer are yet to be established. Study aims were to evaluate: (i DC activation/maturation milieu (TNF-α +/- IFN-α and its effects on CD8+ hTERT-specific T cell responses to class I epitopes (p540 or p865, (ii CD8+ hTERT-specific T cell responses elicited by vaccination with class I alone or both class I and II epitope (p766 and p672-pulsed DCs, prepared without IFN-α, (iii association between circulating T regulatory cells (Tregs and clinical responses. Methods Autologous DCs were generated from 10 patients (HLA-0201 with advanced cancer by culturing CD14+ blood monocytes in the presence of GM-CSF and IL-4 supplemented with TNF-α [DCT] or TNF-α and IFN-α [DCTI]. The capacity of the DCs to induce functional CD8+ T cell responses to hTERT HLA-0201 restricted nonapeptides was assessed by MHC tetramer binding and peptide-specific cytotoxicity. Each DC preparation (DCT or DCTI was pulsed with only one type of hTERT peptide (p540 or p865 and both preparations were injected into separate lymph node draining regions every 2–3 weeks. This vaccination design enabled comparison of efficacy between DCT and DCTI in generating hTERT peptide specific CD8+ T cells and comparison of class I hTERT peptide (p540 or p865-loaded DCT with or without class II cognate help (p766 and p672 in 6 patients. T regulatory cells were evaluated in 8 patients. Results (i DCTIs and DCTs, pulsed with hTERT peptides, were comparable (p = 0.45, t-test in inducing peptide-specific CD8+ T cell responses. (ii Class II cognate help, significantly enhanced (p (iii Clinical responders had significantly lower (p Conclusion Addition of IFN-α to ex vivo monocyte-derived DCs, did not significantly enhance peptide-specific T cell responses in vivo, compared with TNF-α alone. Class II cognate help significantly augments peptide-specific T cell responses. Clinically favourable responses were seen in patients

Vaccination with lipid core peptides fails to induce epitope-specific T cell responses but confers non-specific protective immunity in a malaria model.

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Simon H Apte

Full Text Available Vaccines against many pathogens for which conventional approaches have failed remain an unmet public health priority. Synthetic peptide-based vaccines offer an attractive alternative to whole protein and whole organism vaccines, particularly for complex pathogens that cause chronic infection. Previously, we have reported a promising lipid core peptide (LCP vaccine delivery system that incorporates the antigen, carrier, and adjuvant in a single molecular entity. LCP vaccines have been used to deliver several peptide subunit-based vaccine candidates and induced high titre functional antibodies and protected against Group A streptococcus in mice. Herein, we have evaluated whether LCP constructs incorporating defined CD4(+ and/or CD8(+ T cell epitopes could induce epitope-specific T cell responses and protect against pathogen challenge in a rodent malaria model. We show that LCP vaccines failed to induce an expansion of antigen-specific CD8(+ T cells following primary immunization or by boosting. We further demonstrated that the LCP vaccines induced a non-specific type 2 polarized cytokine response, rather than an epitope-specific canonical CD8(+ T cell type 1 response. Cytotoxic responses of unknown specificity were also induced. These non-specific responses were able to protect against parasite challenge. These data demonstrate that vaccination with lipid core peptides fails to induce canonical epitope-specific T cell responses, at least in our rodent model, but can nonetheless confer non-specific protective immunity against Plasmodium parasite challenge.

Structure-Guided Strategy for the Development of Potent Bivalent ERK Inhibitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lechtenberg, Bernhard C. [Cancer; Mace, Peter D. [Cancer; Sessions, E. Hampton [Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute at Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida 32827, United States; Williamson, Robert [Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute at Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida 32827, United States; Stalder, Romain [Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute at Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida 32827, United States; Wallez, Yann [Cancer; Roth, Gregory P. [Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute at Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida 32827, United States; Riedl, Stefan J. [Cancer; Pasquale, Elena B. [Cancer; Pathology

2017-06-13

ERK is the effector kinase of the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signaling cascade, which promotes cell transformation and malignancy in many cancers and is thus a major drug target in oncology. Kinase inhibitors targeting RAF or MEK are already used for the treatment of certain cancers, such as melanoma. Although the initial response to these drugs can be dramatic, development of drug resistance is a major challenge, even with combination therapies targeting both RAF and MEK. Importantly, most resistance mechanisms still rely on activation of the downstream effector kinase ERK, making it a promising target for drug development efforts. Here, we report the design and structural/functional characterization of a set of bivalent ERK inhibitors that combine a small molecule inhibitor that binds to the ATP-binding pocket with a peptide that selectively binds to an ERK protein interaction surface, the D-site recruitment site (DRS). Our studies show that the lead bivalent inhibitor, SBP3, has markedly improved potency compared to the small molecule inhibitor alone. Unexpectedly, we found that SBP3 also binds to several ERK-related kinases that contain a DRS, highlighting the importance of experimentally verifying the predicted specificity of bivalent inhibitors. However, SBP3 does not target any other kinases belonging to the same CMGC branch of the kinome. Additionally, our modular click chemistry inhibitor design facilitates the generation of different combinations of small molecule inhibitors with ERK-targeting peptides.

Shape-specific nanostructured protein mimics from de novo designed chimeric peptides.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Linhai; Yang, Su; Lund, Reidar; Dong, He

2018-01-30

Natural proteins self-assemble into highly-ordered nanoscaled architectures to perform specific functions. The intricate functions of proteins have provided great impetus for researchers to develop strategies for designing and engineering synthetic nanostructures as protein mimics. Compared to the success in engineering fibrous protein mimetics, the design of discrete globular protein-like nanostructures has been challenging mainly due to the lack of precise control over geometric packing and intermolecular interactions among synthetic building blocks. In this contribution, we report an effective strategy to construct shape-specific nanostructures based on the self-assembly of chimeric peptides consisting of a coiled coil dimer and a collagen triple helix folding motif. Under salt-free conditions, we showed spontaneous self-assembly of the chimeric peptides into monodisperse, trigonal bipyramidal-like nanoparticles with precise control over the stoichiometry of two folding motifs and the geometrical arrangements relative to one another. Three coiled coil dimers are interdigitated on the equatorial plane while the two collagen triple helices are located in the axial position, perpendicular to the coiled coil plane. A detailed molecular model was proposed and further validated by small angle X-ray scattering experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The results from this study indicated that the molecular folding of each motif within the chimeric peptides and their geometric packing played important roles in the formation of discrete protein-like nanoparticles. The peptide design and self-assembly mechanism may open up new routes for the construction of highly organized, discrete self-assembling protein-like nanostructures with greater levels of control over assembly accuracy.

Structural and functional analysis of cyclin D1 reveals p27 and substrate inhibitor binding requirements.

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Liu, Shu; Bolger, Joshua K; Kirkland, Lindsay O; Premnath, Padmavathy N; McInnes, Campbell

2010-12-17

An alternative strategy for inhibition of the cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs) in antitumor drug discovery is afforded through the substrate recruitment site on the cyclin positive regulatory subunit. Critical CDK substrates such as the Rb and E2F families must undergo cyclin groove binding before phosphorylation, and hence inhibitors of this interaction also block substrate specific kinase activity. This approach offers the potential to generate highly selective and cell cycle specific CDK inhibitors and to reduce the inhibition of transcription mediated through CDK7 and 9, commonly observed with ATP competitive compounds. While highly potent peptide and small molecule inhibitors of CDK2/cyclin A, E substrate recruitment have been reported, little information has been generated on the determinants of inhibitor binding to the cyclin groove of the CDK4/cyclin D1 complex. CDK4/cyclin D is a validated anticancer drug target and continues to be widely pursued in the development of new therapeutics based on cell cycle blockade. We have therefore investigated the structural basis for peptide binding to its cyclin groove and have examined the features contributing to potency and selectivity of inhibitors. Peptidic inhibitors of CDK4/cyclin D of pRb phosphorylation have been synthesized, and their complexes with CDK4/cyclin D1 crystal structures have been generated. Based on available structural information, comparisons of the cyclin grooves of cyclin A2 and D1 are presented and provide insights into the determinants for peptide binding and the basis for differential binding and inhibition. In addition, a complex structure has been generated in order to model the interactions of the CDKI, p27(KIP)¹, with cyclin D1. This information has been used to shed light onto the endogenous inhibition of CDK4 and also to identify unique aspects of cyclin D1 that can be exploited in the design of cyclin groove based CDK inhibitors. Peptidic and nonpeptidic compounds have been

SjAPI, the first functionally characterized Ascaris-type protease inhibitor from animal venoms.

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Zongyun Chen

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Serine protease inhibitors act as modulators of serine proteases, playing important roles in protecting animal toxin peptides from degradation. However, all known serine protease inhibitors discovered thus far from animal venom belong to the Kunitz-type subfamily, and whether there are other novel types of protease inhibitors in animal venom remains unclear. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, by screening scorpion venom gland cDNA libraries, we identified the first Ascaris-type animal toxin family, which contains four members: Scorpiops jendeki Ascaris-type protease inhibitor (SjAPI, Scorpiops jendeki Ascaris-type protease inhibitor 2 (SjAPI-2, Chaerilus tricostatus Ascaris-type protease inhibitor (CtAPI, and Buthus martensii Ascaris-type protease inhibitor (BmAPI. The detailed characterization of Ascaris-type peptide SjAPI from the venom gland of scorpion Scorpiops jendeki was carried out. The mature peptide of SjAPI contains 64 residues and possesses a classical Ascaris-type cysteine framework reticulated by five disulfide bridges, different from all known protease inhibitors from venomous animals. Enzyme and inhibitor reaction kinetics experiments showed that recombinant SjAPI was a dual function peptide with α-chymotrypsin- and elastase-inhibiting properties. Recombinant SjAPI inhibited α-chymotrypsin with a Ki of 97.1 nM and elastase with a Ki of 3.7 μM, respectively. Bioinformatics analyses and chimera experiments indicated that SjAPI contained the unique short side chain functional residues "AAV" and might be a useful template to produce new serine protease inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: To our knowledge, SjAPI is the first functionally characterized animal toxin peptide with an Ascaris-type fold. The structural and functional diversity of animal toxins with protease-inhibiting properties suggested that bioactive peptides from animal venom glands might be a new source of protease inhibitors, which will accelerate the

Antiviral activity of α-helical stapled peptides designed from the HIV-1 capsid dimerization domain

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Cowburn David

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The C-terminal domain (CTD of HIV-1 capsid (CA, like full-length CA, forms dimers in solution and CTD dimerization is a major driving force in Gag assembly and maturation. Mutations of the residues at the CTD dimer interface impair virus assembly and render the virus non-infectious. Therefore, the CTD represents a potential target for designing anti-HIV-1 drugs. Results Due to the pivotal role of the dimer interface, we reasoned that peptides from the α-helical region of the dimer interface might be effective as decoys to prevent CTD dimer formation. However, these small peptides do not have any structure in solution and they do not penetrate cells. Therefore, we used the hydrocarbon stapling technique to stabilize the α-helical structure and confirmed by confocal microscopy that this modification also made these peptides cell-penetrating. We also confirmed by using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC, sedimentation equilibrium and NMR that these peptides indeed disrupt dimer formation. In in vitro assembly assays, the peptides inhibited mature-like virus particle formation and specifically inhibited HIV-1 production in cell-based assays. These peptides also showed potent antiviral activity against a large panel of laboratory-adapted and primary isolates, including viral strains resistant to inhibitors of reverse transcriptase and protease. Conclusions These preliminary data serve as the foundation for designing small, stable, α-helical peptides and small-molecule inhibitors targeted against the CTD dimer interface. The observation that relatively weak CA binders, such as NYAD-201 and NYAD-202, showed specificity and are able to disrupt the CTD dimer is encouraging for further exploration of a much broader class of antiviral compounds targeting CA. We cannot exclude the possibility that the CA-based peptides described here could elicit additional effects on virus replication not directly linked to their ability to bind

A Specific Peptide with Calcium-Binding Capacity from Defatted Schizochytrium sp. Protein Hydrolysates and the Molecular Properties

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Xixi Cai

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Marine microorganisms have been proposed as a new kind of protein source. Efforts are needed in order to transform the protein-rich biological wastes left after lipid extraction into value-added bio-products. Thus, the utilization of protein recovered from defatted Schizochytrium sp. by-products presents an opportunity. A specific peptide Tyr-Leu (YL with calcium-binding capacity was purified from defatted Schizochytrium sp. protein hydrolysates through gel filtration chromatography and RP-HPLC. The calcium-binding activity of YL reached 126.34 ± 3.40 μg/mg. The calcium-binding mechanism was investigated through ultraviolet, fluorescence and infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that calcium ions could form dative bonds with carboxyl oxygen atoms and amino nitrogen atoms as well as the nitrogen and oxygen atoms of amide bonds. YL-Ca exhibited excellent thermal stability and solubility, which was beneficial for its absorption and transport in the basic intestinal tract of the human body. Moreover, the cellular uptake of calcium in Caco-2 cells showed that YL-Ca could enhance calcium uptake efficiency and protect calcium ions against precipitation caused by dietary inhibitors such as tannic acid, oxalate, phytate and metal ions. The findings indicate that the by-product of Schizochytrium sp. is a promising source for making peptide-calcium bio-products as algae-based functional supplements for human beings.

A Specific Peptide with Calcium-Binding Capacity from Defatted Schizochytrium sp. Protein Hydrolysates and the Molecular Properties.

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Cai, Xixi; Yang, Qian; Lin, Jiaping; Fu, Nanyan; Wang, Shaoyun

2017-03-29

Marine microorganisms have been proposed as a new kind of protein source. Efforts are needed in order to transform the protein-rich biological wastes left after lipid extraction into value-added bio-products. Thus, the utilization of protein recovered from defatted Schizochytrium sp. by-products presents an opportunity. A specific peptide Tyr-Leu (YL) with calcium-binding capacity was purified from defatted Schizochytrium sp. protein hydrolysates through gel filtration chromatography and RP-HPLC. The calcium-binding activity of YL reached 126.34 ± 3.40 μg/mg. The calcium-binding mechanism was investigated through ultraviolet, fluorescence and infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that calcium ions could form dative bonds with carboxyl oxygen atoms and amino nitrogen atoms as well as the nitrogen and oxygen atoms of amide bonds. YL-Ca exhibited excellent thermal stability and solubility, which was beneficial for its absorption and transport in the basic intestinal tract of the human body. Moreover, the cellular uptake of calcium in Caco-2 cells showed that YL-Ca could enhance calcium uptake efficiency and protect calcium ions against precipitation caused by dietary inhibitors such as tannic acid, oxalate, phytate and metal ions. The findings indicate that the by-product of Schizochytrium sp. is a promising source for making peptide-calcium bio-products as algae-based functional supplements for human beings.

[The primary structure of the alpha-amylase inhibitor Hoe 467A from Streptomyces tendae 4158. A new class of inhibitors].

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Aschauer, H; Vértesy, L; Nesemann, G; Braunitzer, G

1983-10-01

The native or modified alpha-amylase inhibitor Hoe 467A - isolated from the culture medium of Streptomyces tendae 4158 - and overlapping peptides were degraded by the automatic Edman technique. The oxidized or aminoethylated or oxidized and maleoylated inhibitor was digested with trypsin and the native inhibitor with pepsin. Further digestion with Staphylococcus aureus proteinase was also carried out. After peptic digestion two cystin peptides were isolated, which allowed the establishment of the disulfide bonds. The alpha-amylase inhibitor is a polypeptid consisting of 74 amino-acid residues with a molecular mass of 7958 Da. The inhibitor is composed of all naturally occurring amino acids except methionine and phenylalanine and shows no sequence homology to known inhibitors. The clinical and pharmacological importance in respect to the inhibitors ability for inactivation of human salivary and pancreatic alpha-amylase is discussed. Especially the proteinase resistance of the inhibitor enables a clinical application in human (e.g. Diabetes mellitus) per os.

Deep convolutional neural networks for pan-specific peptide-MHC class I binding prediction.

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Han, Youngmahn; Kim, Dongsup

2017-12-28

Computational scanning of peptide candidates that bind to a specific major histocompatibility complex (MHC) can speed up the peptide-based vaccine development process and therefore various methods are being actively developed. Recently, machine-learning-based methods have generated successful results by training large amounts of experimental data. However, many machine learning-based methods are generally less sensitive in recognizing locally-clustered interactions, which can synergistically stabilize peptide binding. Deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) is a deep learning method inspired by visual recognition process of animal brain and it is known to be able to capture meaningful local patterns from 2D images. Once the peptide-MHC interactions can be encoded into image-like array(ILA) data, DCNN can be employed to build a predictive model for peptide-MHC binding prediction. In this study, we demonstrated that DCNN is able to not only reliably predict peptide-MHC binding, but also sensitively detect locally-clustered interactions. Nonapeptide-HLA-A and -B binding data were encoded into ILA data. A DCNN, as a pan-specific prediction model, was trained on the ILA data. The DCNN showed higher performance than other prediction tools for the latest benchmark datasets, which consist of 43 datasets for 15 HLA-A alleles and 25 datasets for 10 HLA-B alleles. In particular, the DCNN outperformed other tools for alleles belonging to the HLA-A3 supertype. The F1 scores of the DCNN were 0.86, 0.94, and 0.67 for HLA-A*31:01, HLA-A*03:01, and HLA-A*68:01 alleles, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of other tools. We found that the DCNN was able to recognize locally-clustered interactions that could synergistically stabilize peptide binding. We developed ConvMHC, a web server to provide user-friendly web interfaces for peptide-MHC class I binding predictions using the DCNN. ConvMHC web server can be accessible via http://jumong.kaist.ac.kr:8080/convmhc

Evaluation of MAP-specific peptides following vaccination of goats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lybeck, Kari; Sjurseth, Siri K.; Melvang, Heidi Mikkelsen

species or 2) selected based on “experience”. Peptides predicted to bind bovine MHC II by in silico analysis were included in further studies, resulting in two panels 1) genome-based and 2) selected. Initially, two groups of 15 healthy goats were vaccinated with one of the two panels (50 µg/peptide in CAF......01 adjuvant/CAF04 for boosting). Four MAP-infected goats were also vaccinated. In a second vaccination trail, groups of 8 healthy goat kids were vaccinated with genome-based peptides, selected peptides or selected peptides linked together in a recombinant protein (20 µg/peptide or 50 µg protein...... peptides. IFN-γ responses in healthy goats after the first vaccination were low, but testing of T cell lines from MAP-infected goats identified peptides inducing strong proliferative responses. Peptides for a second vaccination were selected by combining results from this study with a parallel cattle study...

An unusual helix-turn-helix protease inhibitory motif in a novel trypsin inhibitor from seeds of Veronica (Veronica hederifolia L.).

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Conners, Rebecca; Konarev, Alexander V; Forsyth, Jane; Lovegrove, Alison; Marsh, Justin; Joseph-Horne, Timothy; Shewry, Peter; Brady, R Leo

2007-09-21

The storage tissues of many plants contain protease inhibitors that are believed to play an important role in defending the plant from invasion by pests and pathogens. These proteinaceous inhibitor molecules belong to a number of structurally distinct families. We describe here the isolation, purification, initial inhibitory properties, and three-dimensional structure of a novel trypsin inhibitor from seeds of Veronica hederifolia (VhTI). The VhTI peptide inhibits trypsin with a submicromolar apparent K(i) and is expected to be specific for trypsin-like serine proteases. VhTI differs dramatically in structure from all previously described families of trypsin inhibitors, consisting of a helix-turn-helix motif, with the two alpha helices tightly associated by two disulfide bonds. Unusually, the crystallized complex is in the form of a stabilized acyl-enzyme intermediate with the scissile bond of the VhTI inhibitor cleaved and the resulting N-terminal portion of the inhibitor remaining attached to the trypsin catalytic serine 195 by an ester bond. A synthetic, truncated version of the VhTI peptide has also been produced and co-crystallized with trypsin but, surprisingly, is seen to be uncleaved and consequently forms a noncovalent complex with trypsin. The VhTI peptide shows that effective enzyme inhibitors can be constructed from simple helical motifs and provides a new scaffold on which to base the design of novel serine protease inhibitors.

Specificity of RSG-1.2 peptide binding to RRE-IIB RNA element of HIV-1 over Rev peptide is mainly enthalpic in origin.

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Kumar, Santosh; Bose, Debojit; Suryawanshi, Hemant; Sabharwal, Harshana; Mapa, Koyeli; Maiti, Souvik

2011-01-01

Rev is an essential HIV-1 regulatory protein which binds to the Rev responsive element (RRE) present within the env gene of HIV-1 RNA genome. This binding facilitates the transport of the RNA to the cytoplasm, which in turn triggers the switch between viral latency and active viral replication. Essential components of this complex have been localized to a minimal arginine rich Rev peptide and stem IIB region of RRE. A synthetic peptide known as RSG-1.2 binds with high binding affinity and specificity to the RRE-IIB than the Rev peptide, however the thermodynamic basis of this specificity has not yet been addressed. The present study aims to probe the thermodynamic origin of this specificity of RSG-1.2 over Rev Peptide for RRE-IIB. The temperature dependent melting studies show that RSG-1.2 binding stabilizes the RRE structure significantly (ΔT(m) = 4.3°C), in contrast to Rev binding. Interestingly the thermodynamic signatures of the binding have also been found to be different for both the peptides. At pH 7.5, RSG-1.2 binds RRE-IIB with a K(a) = 16.2±0.6×10(7) M(-1) where enthalpic change ΔH = -13.9±0.1 kcal/mol is the main driving force with limited unfavorable contribution from entropic change TΔS = -2.8±0.1 kcal/mol. A large part of ΔH may be due to specific stacking between U72 and Arg15. In contrast binding of Rev (K(a) = 3.1±0.4×10(7) M(-1)) is driven mainly by entropy (ΔH = 0 kcal/mol and TΔS = 10.2±0.2 kcal/mol) which arises from major conformational changes in the RNA upon binding.

The role of secretory leukocyte proteinase inhibitor and elafin (elastase-specific inhibitor/skin-derived antileukoprotease as alarm antiproteinases in inflammatory lung disease

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Sallenave Jean-Michel

2000-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Secretory leukocyte proteinase inhibitor and elafin are two low-molecular-mass elastase inhibitors that are mainly synthesized locally at mucosal sites. It is thought that their physicochemical properties allow them to efficiently inhibit target enzymes, such as neutrophil elastase, released into the interstitium. Historically, in the lung, these inhibitors were first purified from secretions of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis. This suggested that they might be important in controlling excessive neutrophil elastase release in these pathologies. They are upregulated by 'alarm signals' such as bacterial lipopolysaccharides, and cytokines such as interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor and have been shown to be active against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, so that they have joined the growing list of antimicrobial 'defensin-like' peptides produced by the lung. Their site of synthesis and presumed functions make them very attractive candidates as potential therapeutic agents under conditions in which the excessive release of elastase by neutrophils might be detrimental. Because of its natural tropism for the lung, the use of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer is extremely promising in such applications.

A novel chimeric peptide with antimicrobial activity.

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Alaybeyoglu, Begum; Akbulut, Berna Sariyar; Ozkirimli, Elif

2015-04-01

Beta-lactamase-mediated bacterial drug resistance exacerbates the prognosis of infectious diseases, which are sometimes treated with co-administration of beta-lactam type antibiotics and beta-lactamase inhibitors. Antimicrobial peptides are promising broad-spectrum alternatives to conventional antibiotics in this era of evolving bacterial resistance. Peptides based on the Ala46-Tyr51 beta-hairpin loop of beta-lactamase inhibitory protein (BLIP) have been previously shown to inhibit beta-lactamase. Here, our goal was to modify this peptide for improved beta-lactamase inhibition and cellular uptake. Motivated by the cell-penetrating pVEC sequence, which includes a hydrophobic stretch at its N-terminus, our approach involved the addition of LLIIL residues to the inhibitory peptide N-terminus to facilitate uptake. Activity measurements of the peptide based on the 45-53 loop of BLIP for enhanced inhibition verified that the peptide was a competitive beta-lactamase inhibitor with a K(i) value of 58 μM. Incubation of beta-lactam-resistant cells with peptide decreased the number of viable cells, while it had no effect on beta-lactamase-free cells, indicating that this peptide had antimicrobial activity via beta-lactamase inhibition. To elucidate the molecular mechanism by which this peptide moves across the membrane, steered molecular dynamics simulations were carried out. We propose that addition of hydrophobic residues to the N-terminus of the peptide affords a promising strategy in the design of novel antimicrobial peptides not only against beta-lactamase but also for other intracellular targets. Copyright © 2015 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Inhibitin: a specific inhibitor of sodium/sodium exchange in erythrocytes.

OpenAIRE

Morgan, K; Brown, R C; Spurlock, G; Southgate, K; Mir, M A

1986-01-01

An inhibitor of ouabain-insensitive sodium/sodium exchange in erythrocytes has been isolated from leukemic promyelocytes. To explore the specific effects of this inhibitor, named inhibitin, sodium transport experiments were carried out in human erythrocytes. Inhibitin reduced ouabain-insensitive bidirectional sodium transport. It did not change net sodium fluxes, had no significant effect on rubidium influx, and did not inhibit sodium-potassium-ATPase activity. The inhibitory effect of inhibi...

Radiolabelled peptides and nanoparticles for specific molecular targeting in oncology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helbok, A.

2011-01-01

The aim of this thesis is the development of radiolabelled peptides and nanoparticles (NP) for specific molecular targeting in oncology. Three different types of NP were investigated in this study: lipid - based NP (liposomes and micelles), human serum albumin - based NP (albumin NP) and protamine - oligonucleotide - based NP (proticles). In a first step, radiolabelling protocols were set up for the different NP - formulations. The variety of radioisotopes used, covers the whole spectrum of applications in nuclear medicine: SPECT (111In, 99mTc), (2) PET (68Ga) and therapeutic applications (177Lu, 90Y) opening a manifold administration potential for these NP aiming towards multiple targeting and hybrid imaging strategies (combined SPECT / PET and MRI). Radiolabelling quality was analyzed by instant thin layer chromatography (ITLC). High radiochemical yields (RCY >90 %) and high specific activity (SA) were achieved. NP - formulations were derivatized with the chelating agent Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) allowing complexation of trivalent radiometals, and potentially nonradioactive metals, such as Gd3+, for MRI imaging leading to the development of multifunctionalized NP for a unified labelling approach. Furthermore, NP were derivatized with the pharmacokinetic modifier polyethylene glycol (PEG) to maintain NP with long circulating ability. Stability assessments included incubation in different media (serum, 4 mM DTPA - solution and PBS pH 7.4, at 37 o C for a period of 24 h). For the in vivo biodistribution of the NP, static and / or dynamic SPECT / PET imaging studies were performed at different time points with Lewis rats and correlated to results from quantification of tissue - uptake. Results indicate differences in stability and general pharmacokinetic behaviour depended on the NP - formulation. However, a positive influence expressed in a prolonged retention time in circulation was investigated for all different NP - formulations due to PEG

Recombinant heat shock protein 70 functional peptide and alpha-fetoprotein epitope peptide vaccine elicits specific anti-tumor immunity.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiao-Ping; Wang, Qiao-Xia; Lin, Huan-Ping; Xu, Bing; Zhao, Qian; Chen, Kun

2016-11-01

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a marker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and serves as a target for immunotherapy. However, current treatments targeting AFP are not reproducible and do not provide complete protection against cancer. This issue may be solved by developing novel therapeutic vaccines with enhanced immunogenicity that could effectively target AFP-expressing tumors. In this study, we report construction of a therapeutic peptide vaccine by linking heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) functional peptide to the AFP epitope to obtain HSP70-P/AFP-P. This novel peptide was administered into BALB/c mice to observe the effects. Quantification of AFP-specific CD8 + T cells that secrete IFN-γ in these mice via ELISPOT revealed the synergistic effects of HSP70-P/AFP-P with increased numbers of AFP-specific CD8 + T cells. Similarly, ELISA analysis showed increased granzyme B and perforin released by natural killer cells. Moreover, in vitro cytotoxic T-lymphocyte assays and in vivo tumor preventive experiments clearly showed the higher antitumor effects of HSP70-P/AFP-P against AFP-expressing tumors. These results show that treatment of BALB/c mice with HSP70-P/AFP-P induced stronger T-cells responses and improved protective immunity. Our data suggest that HSP70-P/AFP-P may be used as a therapeutic approach in the treatment of AFP-expressing cancers.

Augmentation of Cationic Antimicrobial Peptide Production with Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors as a Novel Epigenetic Therapy for Bacterial Infections

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Roshan D. Yedery

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The emergence of antibiotic resistance seriously threatens our ability to treat many common and medically important bacterial infections. Novel therapeutics are needed that can be used alone or in conjunction with antibiotics. Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs are important effectors of the host innate defense that exhibit broad-spectrum activity against a wide range of microorganisms. CAMPs are carried within phagocytic granules and are constitutively or inducibly expressed by multiple cell types, including epithelial cells. The role of histone modification enzymes, specifically the histone deacetylases (HDAC, in down-regulating the transcription of CAMP-encoding genes is increasingly appreciated as is the capacity of HDAC inhibitors (HDACi to block the action of HDACs to increase CAMP expression. The use of synthetic and natural HDACi molecules to increase CAMPs on mucosal surfaces, therefore, has potential therapeutic applications. Here, we review host and pathogen regulation of CAMP expression through the induction of HDACs and assess the therapeutic potential of natural and synthetic HDACi based on evidence from tissue culture systems, animal models, and clinical trials.

A Tetrameric Peptide Derived from Bovine Lactoferricin Exhibits Specific Cytotoxic Effects against Oral Squamous-Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines.

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Solarte, Víctor A; Rosas, Jaiver E; Rivera, Zuly J; Arango-Rodríguez, Martha L; García, Javier E; Vernot, Jean-Paul

2015-01-01

Several short linear peptides derived from cyclic bovine lactoferricin were synthesized and tested for their cytotoxic effect against the oral cavity squamous-cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines CAL27 and SCC15. As a control, an immortalized and nontumorigenic cell line, Het-1A, was used. Linear peptides based on the RRWQWR core sequence showed a moderate cytotoxic effect and specificity towards tumorigenic cells. A tetrameric peptide, LfcinB(20-25)4, containing the RRWQWR motif, exhibited greater cytotoxic activity (>90%) in both OSCC cell lines compared to the linear lactoferricin peptide or the lactoferrin protein. Additionally, this tetrameric peptide showed the highest specificity towards tumorigenic cells among the tested peptides. Interestingly, this effect was very fast, with cell shrinkage, severe damage to cell membrane permeability, and lysis within one hour of treatment. Our results are consistent with a necrotic effect rather than an apoptotic one and suggest that this tetrameric peptide could be considered as a new candidate for the therapeutic treatment of OSCC.

In Vivo Efficacy of Measles Virus Fusion Protein-Derived Peptides Is Modulated by the Properties of Self-Assembly and Membrane Residence

Science.gov (United States)

Figueira, T. N.; Palermo, L. M.; Veiga, A. S.; Huey, D.; Alabi, C. A.; Santos, N. C.; Welsch, J. C.; Mathieu, C.; Niewiesk, S.; Moscona, A.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Measles virus (MV) infection is undergoing resurgence and remains one of the leading causes of death among young children worldwide despite the availability of an effective measles vaccine. MV infects its target cells by coordinated action of the MV hemagglutinin (H) and fusion (F) envelope glycoproteins; upon receptor engagement by H, the prefusion F undergoes a structural transition, extending and inserting into the target cell membrane and then refolding into a postfusion structure that fuses the viral and cell membranes. By interfering with this structural transition of F, peptides derived from the heptad repeat (HR) regions of F can inhibit MV infection at the entry stage. In previous work, we have generated potent MV fusion inhibitors by dimerizing the F-derived peptides and conjugating them to cholesterol. We have shown that prophylactic intranasal administration of our lead fusion inhibitor efficiently protects from MV infection in vivo. We show here that peptides tagged with lipophilic moieties self-assemble into nanoparticles until they reach the target cells, where they are integrated into cell membranes. The self-assembly feature enhances biodistribution and the half-life of the peptides, while integration into the target cell membrane increases fusion inhibitor potency. These factors together modulate in vivo efficacy. The results suggest a new framework for developing effective fusion inhibitory peptides. IMPORTANCE Measles virus (MV) infection causes an acute illness that may be associated with infection of the central nervous system (CNS) and severe neurological disease. No specific treatment is available. We have shown that fusion-inhibitory peptides delivered intranasally provide effective prophylaxis against MV infection. We show here that specific biophysical properties regulate the in vivo efficacy of MV F-derived peptides. PMID:27733647

Self-Assembling Peptide Nanofiber Scaffold Enhanced with RhoA Inhibitor CT04 Improves Axonal Regrowth in the Transected Spinal Cord

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Weiwei Zhang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The present study was designed to explore the therapeutic potential of self-assembling peptide nanofiber scaffold (SAPNS delivered RhoA inhibitor to ameliorate the hostile microenvironment of injured spinal cord for axonal regeneration. After a transection was applied to the thoracic spinal cord of mice, the combination of SAPNS and CT04 (a cell permeable RhoA inhibitor, single SAPNS with vehicle, or saline was transplanted into the lesion cavity. Results showed that SAPNS+CT04 implants achieved the best therapeutic outcomes among treatment groups. The novel combination not only reconstructed the injured nerve gap but also elicited significant axonal regeneration and motor functional recovery. Additionally, the combination also effectively reduced the apoptosis and infiltration of activated macrophages in the injured spinal cord. Collectively, the present study demonstrated that SAPNS-based delivery of RhoA inhibitor CT04 presented a highly potential therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury with reknitting lesion gap, attenuating secondary injury, and improving axonal regrowth.

Self-Assembling Peptide Nanofiber Scaffold Enhanced with RhoA Inhibitor CT04 Improves Axonal Regrowth in the Transected Spinal Cord

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiwei, Z.; Xiaoduo, Z.; Zhongying, L.

2012-01-01

The present study was designed to explore the therapeutic potential of self-assembling peptide nano fiber scaffold (SAPNS) delivered RhoA inhibitor to ameliorate the hostile microenvironment of injured spinal cord for axonal regeneration. After a transection was applied to the thoracic spinal cord of mice, the combination of SAPNS and CT04 (a cell permeable RhoA inhibitor), single SAPNS with vehicle, or saline was transplanted into the lesion cavity. Results showed that SAPNS+CT04 implants achieved the best therapeutic outcomes among treatment groups. The novel combination not only reconstructed the injured nerve gap but also elicited significant axonal regeneration and motor functional recovery. Additionally, the combination also effectively reduced the apoptosis and infiltration of activated macrophages in the injured spinal cord. Collectively, the present study demonstrated that SAPNS-based delivery of RhoA inhibitor CT04 presented a highly potential therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury with reknitting lesion gap, attenuating secondary injury, and improving axonal regrowth.

Effects of kinase inhibitors and potassium phosphate (KPi) on site-specific phosphorylation of branched chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase (BCKDH)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuntz, M.J.; Shimomura, Y.; Ozawa, T.; Harris, R.A.

1987-01-01

BCKDH is phosphorylated by a copurifying kinase at two serine residues on the Elα subunit. Phosphorylation of both sites occurs at about the same rate initially, but inactivation is believed associated only with site 1 phosphorylation. The effects of KPi and known inhibitors of BCKDH kinase, α-chloroisocaproate (CIC) and branched chain α-ketoacids (BCKA), on the phosphorylation of purified rat liver BCKDH were studied. Site-specific phosphorylation was quantitated by thin-layer electrophoresis of tryptic peptides followed by densitometric scanning of autoradiograms. Addition of 5 mM KPi was found necessary to stabilize the BCKDH activity at 37 0 C. Increasing the KPi to 50 mM dramatically increased the CIC and BCKA inhibition of site 1 and site 2 phosphorylation. The finding of enhanced sensitivity of inhibitors with 50 mM KPi may facilitate identification of physiologically important kinase effectors. Regardless of the KPi concentration, CIC and the BCKA showed much more effective inhibition of site 2 than site 1 phosphorylation. Although site 1 is the primary inactivating site, predominant inhibition of site 2 phosphorylation may provide a means of modulating kinase/phosphatase control of BCKDH activity under steady state conditions

Safety, efficacy, and molecular mechanism of claudin-1-specific peptides to enhance blood-nerve-barrier permeability.

Science.gov (United States)

Sauer, Reine-Solange; Krug, Susanne M; Hackel, Dagmar; Staat, Christian; Konasin, Natalia; Yang, Shaobing; Niedermirtl, Benedikt; Bosten, Judith; Günther, Ramona; Dabrowski, Sebastian; Doppler, Kathrin; Sommer, Claudia; Blasig, Ingolf E; Brack, Alexander; Rittner, Heike L

2014-07-10

The blood-nerve barrier consists of the perineurium and endoneurial vessels. The perineurial barrier is composed of a basal membrane and a layer of perineurial cells sealed by tight junction proteins preventing e.g. application of analgesics for selective regional pain control. One of the barrier-sealing proteins in the blood-nerve barrier is claudin-1. Therefore, the claudin-1-peptidomimetics (C1C2), derived from the first extracellular loop (ECL1) on claudin-1 was developed. In this study, we further evaluated the expression of tight junction proteins in the perineurium in Wistar rats and characterized the specificity, in vivo applicability, mechanism of action as well as the biocompatibility of C1C2. In the perineurium, claudin-19, tricellulin and ZO-1, but no claudin-2, 3, 8 and -11 were expressed. C1C2 specifically bound to the ECL1 of claudin-1 and fluorescent 5,6-carboxytetramethylrhodamine-C1C2 was rapidly internalized. Opening the perineurium with C1C2 reduced the mRNA and protein expression of claudin-1 and increased small and macromolecule permeability into the peripheral nerve. Application of C1C2 facilitated regional analgesia using μ-opioid receptor agonists like DAMGO or morphine without motor impairment in naïve rats as well as rats with hind paw inflammation. In contrast the control peptide C2C2 derived from ECL1 on claudin-2 did neither open the barrier nor facilitated opioid-mediated regional analgesia. C1C2 delivery was well tolerated and caused no morphological and functional nerve damage. C1C2 effects could be reversed by interference with the wnt-signal-transduction pathway, specifically the homeobox transcription factor cdx2, using a glycogen-synthase-kinase-3 inhibitor. In summary, we describe the composition of and a pathway to open the perineurial barrier employing a peptide to deliver hydrophilic substances to the peripheral nerve. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A+-Helix of Protein C Inhibitor (PCI) Is a Cell-penetrating Peptide That Mediates Cell Membrane Permeation of PCI*

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hanjiang; Wahlmüller, Felix Christof; Sarg, Bettina; Furtmüller, Margareta; Geiger, Margarethe

2015-01-01

Protein C inhibitor (PCI) is a serpin with broad protease reactivity. It binds glycosaminoglycans and certain phospholipids that can modulate its inhibitory activity. PCI can penetrate through cellular membranes via binding to phosphatidylethanolamine. The exact mechanism of PCI internalization and the intracellular role of the serpin are not well understood. Here we showed that testisin, a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored serine protease, cleaved human PCI and mouse PCI (mPCI) at their reactive sites as well as at sites close to their N terminus. This cleavage was observed not only with testisin in solution but also with cell membrane-anchored testisin on U937 cells. The cleavage close to the N terminus released peptides rich in basic amino acids. Synthetic peptides corresponding to the released peptides of human PCI (His1–Arg11) and mPCI (Arg1–Ala18) functioned as cell-penetrating peptides. Because intact mPCI but not testisin-cleaved mPCI was internalized by Jurkat T cells, a truncated mPCI mimicking testisin-cleaved mPCI was created. The truncated mPCI lacking 18 amino acids at the N terminus was not taken up by Jurkat T cells. Therefore our model suggests that testisin or other proteases could regulate the internalization of PCI by removing its N terminus. This may represent one of the mechanisms regulating the intracellular functions of PCI. PMID:25488662

Novel tetra-peptide insertion in Gag-p6 ALIX-binding motif in HIV-1 subtype C associated with protease inhibitor failure in Indian patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Neogi, Ujjwal; Rao, Shwetha D; Bontell, Irene; Verheyen, Jens; Rao, Vasudev R; Gore, Sagar C; Soni, Neelesh; Shet, Anita; Schülter, Eugen; Ekstrand, Maria L; Wondwossen, Amogne; Kaiser, Rolf; Madhusudhan, Mallur S; Prasad, Vinayaka R; Sonnerborg, Anders

2014-09-24

A novel tetra-peptide insertion was identified in Gag-p6 ALIX-binding region, which appeared in protease inhibitor failure Indian HIV-1C sequences (odds ratio=17.1, P < 0.001) but was naturally present in half of untreated Ethiopian HIV-1C sequences. The insertion is predicted to restore ALIX-mediated virus release pathway, which is lacking in HIV-1C. The clinical importance of the insertion needs to be evaluated in HIV-1C dominating regions wherein the use of protease inhibitor drugs are being scaled up.

Characterization of an eukaryotic peptide deformylase from Plasmodium falciparum.

Science.gov (United States)

Bracchi-Ricard, V; Nguyen, K T; Zhou, Y; Rajagopalan, P T; Chakrabarti, D; Pei, D

2001-12-15

Ribosomal protein synthesis in eubacteria and eukaryotic organelles initiates with an N-formylmethionyl-tRNA(i), resulting in N-terminal formylation of all nascent polypeptides. Peptide deformylase (PDF) catalyzes the subsequent removal of the N-terminal formyl group from the majority of bacterial proteins. Until recently, PDF has been thought as an enzyme unique to the bacterial kingdom. Searches of the genomic DNA databases identified several genes that encode proteins of high sequence homology to bacterial PDF from eukaryotic organisms. The cDNA encoding Plasmodium falciparum PDF (PfPDF) has been cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein is catalytically active in deformylating N-formylated peptides, shares many of the properties of bacterial PDF, and is inhibited by specific PDF inhibitors. Western blot analysis indicated expression of mature PfPDF in trophozoite, schizont, and segmenter stages of intraerythrocytic development. These results provide strong evidence that a functional PDF is present in P. falciparum. In addition, PDF inhibitors inhibited the growth of P. falciparum in the intraerythrocytic culture. (c)2001 Elsevier Science.

Endogenous collagen peptide activation of CD1d-restricted NKT cells ameliorates tissue-specific inflammation in mice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Yawei; Teige, Anna; Mondoc, Emma

2011-01-01

NKT cells in the mouse recognize antigen in the context of the MHC class I-like molecule CD1d and play an important role in peripheral tolerance and protection against autoimmune and other diseases. NKT cells are usually activated by CD1d-presented lipid antigens. However, peptide recognition...... in the context of CD1 has also been documented, although no self-peptide ligands have been reported to date. Here, we have identified an endogenous peptide that is presented by CD1d to activate mouse NKT cells. This peptide, the immunodominant epitope from mouse collagen type II (mCII707-721), was not associated...... with either MHC class I or II. Activation of CD1d-restricted mCII707-721-specific NKT cells was induced via TCR signaling and classical costimulation. In addition, mCII707-721-specific NKT cells induced T cell death through Fas/FasL, in an IL-17A-independent fashion. Moreover, mCII707-721-specific NKT cells...

Epitope and functional specificity of monoclonal antibodies to mouse gamma interferon: the synthetic peptide approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russell, J.K.; Hayes, M.P.; Carter, J.M.; Torres, B.A.; Dunn, B.M.; Johnson, H.M.

1986-01-01

Four anti-recombinant mouse gamma interferon (α-IFNγ) monoclonal antibodies were generated using hamster spleen cells. Binding of 125 I-IFNγ by these protein A-bound antibodies was specifically blocked by cold IFNγ. Binding by three of these antibodies was also blocked by a synthetic peptide corresponding to the N-terminal 1-39 amino acids of IFNγ, while a corresponding C-terminal (95-133) peptide had no effect on binding. One of the N-terminal specific monoclonal antibodies inhibited both the antiviral and macrophage priming (for tumor cell killing) activities of IFNγ, while the other two had no effect on either biological function. Blocking experiments with cold IFNγ and N-terminal peptide suggest that the epitope specificities of the monoclonal antibodies could be determined by the conformational or topographic structure of IFNγ. Polyclonal antibodies to either the N-terminal or C-terminal peptides also inhibited both the antiviral and macrophage priming activities of IFNγ. All of the antibodies that inhibited IFNγ function also blocked binding of IFNγ to membrane receptor on cells, while antibodies that did not inhibit function also did not block binding. The data suggest that both the N-terminal and C-terminal domains of IFNγ play an important role in its antiviral and macrophage priming functions, possibly in a cooperative manner

A Tetrameric Peptide Derived from Bovine Lactoferricin Exhibits Specific Cytotoxic Effects against Oral Squamous-Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines

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Víctor A. Solarte

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Several short linear peptides derived from cyclic bovine lactoferricin were synthesized and tested for their cytotoxic effect against the oral cavity squamous-cell carcinoma (OSCC cell lines CAL27 and SCC15. As a control, an immortalized and nontumorigenic cell line, Het-1A, was used. Linear peptides based on the RRWQWR core sequence showed a moderate cytotoxic effect and specificity towards tumorigenic cells. A tetrameric peptide, LfcinB(20–254, containing the RRWQWR motif, exhibited greater cytotoxic activity (>90% in both OSCC cell lines compared to the linear lactoferricin peptide or the lactoferrin protein. Additionally, this tetrameric peptide showed the highest specificity towards tumorigenic cells among the tested peptides. Interestingly, this effect was very fast, with cell shrinkage, severe damage to cell membrane permeability, and lysis within one hour of treatment. Our results are consistent with a necrotic effect rather than an apoptotic one and suggest that this tetrameric peptide could be considered as a new candidate for the therapeutic treatment of OSCC.

Novel cyclo-peptides inhibit Ebola pseudotyped virus entry by targeting primed GP protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Quanjie; Ma, Ling; Yi, Dongrong; Wang, Han; Wang, Jing; Zhang, Yongxin; Guo, Ying; Li, Xiaoyu; Zhou, Jinming; Shi, Yi; Gao, George F; Cen, Shan

2018-07-01

Ebola virus (EBOV) causes fatal hemorrhagic fever with high death rates in human. Currently, there are no available clinically-approved prophylactic or therapeutic treatments. The recently solved crystal structure of cleavage-primed EBOV glycoprotein (GPcl) in complex with the C domain of endosomal protein Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) provides a new target for the development of EBOV entry inhibitors. In this work, a computational approach using docking and molecular dynamic simulations is carried out for the rational design of peptide inhibitors. A novel cyclo-peptide (Pep-3.3) was identified to target at the late stage of EBOV entry and exhibit specific inhibitory activity against EBOV-GP pseudotyped viruses, with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 5.1 μM. In vitro binding assay and molecular simulations revealed that Pep-3.3 binds to GPcl with a KD value of 69.7 μM, through interacting with predicted residues in the hydrophobic binding pocket of GPcl. Mutation of predicted residues T83 caused resistance to Pep-3.3 inhibition in viral infectivity, providing preliminary support for the model of the peptide binding to GPcl. This study demonstrates the feasibility of inhibiting EBOV entry by targeting GPcl with peptides. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Kinetic analysis of the mechanism and specificity of protein-disulfide isomerase using fluorescence-quenched peptides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Westphal, V; Spetzler, J C; Meldal, M

1998-01-01

Protein-disulfide isomerase (PDI) is an abundant folding catalyst in the endoplasmic reticulum of eukaryotic cells. PDI introduces disulfide bonds into newly synthesized proteins and catalyzes disulfide bond isomerizations. We have synthesized a library of disulfide-linked fluorescence......-quenched peptides, individually linked to resin beads, for two purposes: 1) to probe PDI specificity, and 2) to identify simple, sensitive peptide substrates of PDI. Using this library, beads that became rapidly fluorescent by reduction by human PDI were selected. Amino acid sequencing of the bead-linked peptides...

CD25 targeted therapy of chemotherapy resistant leukemic stem cells using DR5 specific TRAIL peptide

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Jayaprakasam Madhumathi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Chemotherapy resistant leukemic stem cells (LSCs are being targeted as a modern therapeutic approach to prevent disease relapse. LSCs isolated from methotrexate resistant side population (SP of leukemic cell lines HL60 and MOLT4 exhibited high levels of CD25 and TRAIL R2/DR5 which are potential targets. Recombinant immunotoxin conjugating IL2α with TRAIL peptide mimetic was constructed for DR5 receptor specific targeting of LSCs and were tested in total cell population and LSCs. IL2-TRAIL peptide induced apoptosis in drug resistant SP cells from cell lines and showed potent cytotoxicity in PBMCs derived from leukemic patients with an efficacy of 81.25% in AML and 100% in CML, ALL and CLL. IL2-TRAIL peptide showed cytotoxicity in relapsed patient samples and was more effective than TRAIL or IL2-TRAIL proteins. Additionally, DR5 specific IL2-TRAIL peptide was effective in targeting and killing LSCs purified from cell lines [IC50: 952 nM in HL60, 714 nM in MOLT4] and relapsed patient blood samples with higher efficacy (85% than IL2-TRAIL protein (46%. Hence, CD25 and DR5 specific targeting by IL2-TRAIL peptide may be an effective strategy for targeting drug resistant leukemic cells and LSCs.

Vaccination with map specific peptides reduces map burden in tissues of infected goats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Melvang, Heidi Mikkelsen; Hassan, Sufia Butt; Thakur, Aneesh

As an alternative to protein-based vaccines, we investigated the effect of post-exposure vaccination with Map specific peptides in a goat model aiming at developing a Map vaccine that will neither interfere with diagnosis of paratuberculosis nor bovine tuberculosis. Peptides were initially select...... in the unvaccinated control group seroconverted in ID Screen® ELISA at last sampling prior to euthanasia. These results indicate that a subunit vaccine against Map can induce a protective immune response against paratuberculosis in goats....

Degradation and Stabilization of Peptide Hormones in Human Blood Specimens.

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Jizu Yi

Full Text Available Plasma hormone peptides, including GLP-1, GIP, Glucagon, and OXM, possess multiple physiological roles and potential therapeutic and diagnostic utility as biomarkers in the research of metabolic disorders. These peptides are subject to proteolytic degradation causing preanalytical variations. Stabilization for accurate quantitation of these active peptides in ex vivo blood specimens is essential for drug and biomarker development. We investigated the protease-driven instability of these peptides in conventional serum, plasma, anticoagulated whole blood, as well as whole blood and plasma stabilized with protease inhibitors. The peptide was monitored by both time-course Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-to-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI -TOF MS and Ab-based assay (ELISA or RIA. MS enabled the identification of proteolytic fragments. In non-stabilized blood samples, the results clearly indicated that dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV removed the N-terminal two amino acid residues from GLP-1, GIP and OXM(1-37 and not-yet identified peptidase(s cleave(s the full-length OXM(1-37 and its fragments. DPP-IV also continued to remove two additional N-terminal residues of processed OXM(3-37 to yield OXM(5-37. Importantly, both DPP-IV and other peptidase(s activities were inhibited efficiently by the protease inhibitors included in the BD P800* tube. There was preservation of GLP-1, GIP, OXM and glucagon in the P800 plasma samples with half-lives > 96, 96, 72, and 45 hours at room temperature (RT, respectively. In the BD P700* plasma samples, the stabilization of GLP-1 was also achieved with half-life > 96 hours at RT. The stabilization of these variable peptides increased their utility in drug and/or biomarker development. While stability results of GLP-1 obtained with Ab-based assay were consistent with those obtained by MS analysis, the Ab-based results of GIP, Glucagon, and OXM did not reflect the time-dependent degradations revealed by MS

Shared fine specificity between T-cell receptors and an antibody recognizing a peptide/major histocompatibility class I complex

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stryhn, A; Andersen, P S; Pedersen, L O

1996-01-01

Cytotoxic T cells recognize mosaic structures consisting of target peptides embedded within self-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. This structure has been described in great detail for several peptide-MHC complexes. In contrast, how T-cell receptors recognize peptide...... each other showing that peptide residues 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7 were exposed on the MHC surface and recognized by the T cells. Thus, the majority, and perhaps all, of the side chains of the non-primary anchor residues may be available for T-cell recognition, and contribute to the stringent specificity of T...... cells. A striking similarity between the specificity of the T cells and that of the pSAN antibody was found and most of the peptide residues, which could be recognized by the T cells, could also be recognized by the antibody....

In vitro comparison of renal handling and uptake of two somatostatin receptor-specific peptides labeled with indium-111

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trejtnar, F.; Novy, Z.; Petrik, M.; Laznickova, A.; Melicharova, L.; Vankova, M.; Laznicek, M.

2008-01-01

Radiolabeled receptor-specific somatostatin analogs labeled with gamma- or beta-emitting radionuclides are useful for scintigraphic imaging and/or therapy of selected neuroendocrine tumors. However, significant renal uptake may result in radiotoxicological injury of the kidney and can limit clinical application of the agents. The aim of the study was to analyze renal handling, rate, and mechanism of renal accumulation of two somatostatin receptor-targeted peptides, [DOTA 0 , Tyr 3 , Thr 8 ]-octreotide (DOTA-TATE) and [DOTA 0 , 1-Nal 3 ]-octreotide (DOTA-NOC), labeled with indium-111 using in vitro methods. The perfused rat kidney and freshly isolated rat renal cells were used as experimental models. The perfusion was performed in a recirculation regimen at constant pressure with solution containing bovine albumin, erythrocytes, and a mixture of essential substrates. The renal cells were isolated from rat kidneys using two-phase collagenase perfusion. Accumulation studies were used to evaluate the renal uptake of the peptides and to compare their accumulation with that of passively or actively transported model drugs. The influence of selected inhibitors of receptor-mediated endocytosis and the inhibition of energy-dependent transport processes on the uptake were also investigated using isolated renal cells. The renal clearance of 111 In-DOTA-NOC in the perfused rat kidney was significantly lower than that of 111 In-DOTA-TATE. Reverse situation was found in the case of renal retention. Pretreatment of the perfused kidney with maleate markedly decreased the renal retention. 111 In-DOTA-NOC was accumulated in the isolated renal cells at a higher rate than 111 In-DOTA-TATE (ratio 3:1). The uptake of the radiopeptides in renal cells was higher than the uptake of not only the passively transported sucrose but also actively transported and accumulated methylglucose. The rank order of potency to inhibit the uptake by active endocytosis was approximately aprotinin

Potential of acylated peptides to target the influenza A virus

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Daniel Lauster

2015-04-01

Full Text Available For antiviral drug design, especially in the field of influenza virus research, potent multivalent inhibitors raise high expectations for combating epidemics and pandemics. Among a large variety of covalent and non-covalent scaffold systems for a multivalent display of inhibitors, we created a simple supramolecular platform to enhance the antiviral effect of our recently developed antiviral Peptide B (PeBGF, preventing binding of influenza virus to the host cell. By conjugating the peptide with stearic acid to create a higher-order structure with a multivalent display, we could significantly enhance the inhibitory effect against the serotypes of both human pathogenic influenza virus A/Aichi/2/1968 H3N2, and avian pathogenic A/FPV/Rostock/34 H7N1 in the hemagglutination inhibition assay. Further, the inhibitory potential of stearylated PeBGF (C18-PeBGF was investigated by infection inhibition assays, in which we achieved low micromolar inhibition constants against both viral strains. In addition, we compared C18-PeBGF to other published amphiphilic peptide inhibitors, such as the stearylated sugar receptor mimicking peptide (Matsubara et al. 2010, and the “Entry Blocker” (EB (Jones et al. 2006, with respect to their antiviral activity against infection by Influenza A Virus (IAV H3N2. However, while this strategy seems at a first glance promising, the native situation is quite different from our experimental model settings. First, we found a strong potential of those peptides to form large amyloid-like supramolecular assemblies. Second, in vivo, the large excess of cell surface membranes provides an unspecific target for the stearylated peptides. We show that acylated peptides insert into the lipid phase of such membranes. Eventually, our study reveals serious limitations of this type of self-assembling IAV inhibitors.

LC-QTOF-MS identification of porcine-specific peptide in heat treated pork identifies candidate markers for meat species determination.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarah, S A; Faradalila, W N; Salwani, M S; Amin, I; Karsani, S A; Sazili, A Q

2016-05-15

The purpose of this study was to identify porcine-specific peptide markers from thermally processed meat that could differentiate pork from beef, chevon and chicken meat. In the initial stage, markers from tryptic digested protein of chilled, boiled and autoclaved pork were identified using LC-QTOF-MS. An MRM method was then established for verification. A thorough investigation of LC-QTOF-MS data showed that only seven porcine-specific peptides were consistently detected. Among these peptides, two were derived from lactate dehydrogenase, one from creatine kinase, and four from serum albumin protein. However, MRM could only detect four peptides (EVTEFAK, LVVITAGAR, FVIER and TVLGNFAAFVQK) that were consistently present in pork samples. In conclusion, meat species determination through a tandem mass spectrometry platform shows high potential in providing scientifically valid and reliable results even at peptide level. Besides, the specificity and selectivity offered by the proteomics approach also provide a robust platform for Halal authentication. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Eukaryotic inhibitors or activators elicit responses to chemosensory compounds by ruminal isotrichid and entodiniomorphid protozoa.

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz, H L; Barr, K N; Godden, K R; Plank, J E; Zapata, I; Schappacher, A N; Wick, M P; Firkins, J L

2014-01-01

Our objectives were to evaluate potential signaling pathways regulating rumen protozoal chemotaxis using eukaryotic inhibitors potentially coordinated with phagocytosis as assessed by fluorescent bead uptake kinetics. Wortmannin (inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase), insulin, genistein (purported inhibitor of a receptor tyrosine kinase), U73122 (inhibitor of phospholipase C), and sodium nitroprusside (Snp, nitric oxide generator, activating protein kinase G) were preincubated with mixed ruminal protozoa for 3h before assessing uptake of fluorescent beads and chemosensory behavior to glucose, peptides, and their combination; peptides were also combined with guanosine triphosphate (GTP; a chemorepellent). Entodiniomorphids were chemoattracted to both glucose and peptides, but chemoattraction to glucose was increased by Snp and wortmannin without effect on chemoattraction to peptides. Rate of fluorescent bead uptake by an Entodinium caudatum culture decreased when beads were added simultaneously with feeding and incubated with wortmannin (statistical interaction). Wortmannin also decreased the proportion of mixed entodiniomorphids consuming beads. Isotrichid protozoa exhibited greater chemotaxis to glucose but, compared with entodiniomorphids, were chemorepelled to peptides. Wortmannin increased chemotaxis by entodiniomorphids but decreased chemotaxis to glucose by isotrichids. Motility assays documented that Snp and wortmannin decreased net swimming speed (distance among 2 points per second) but not total swimming speed (including turns) by entodiniomorphids. Wortmannin decreased both net and total swimming behavior in isotrichids. Results mechanistically explain the isotrichid migratory ecology to rapidly take up newly ingested sugars and subsequent sedimentation back to the ventral reticulorumen. In contrast, entodiniomorphids apparently integrate cellular motility with feeding behavior to consume small particulates and thereby stay associated and pass with the

A dual-specificity isoform of the protein kinase inhibitor PKI produced by alternate gene splicing.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Priyadarsini; Walsh, Donal A

2002-03-15

We have previously shown that the protein kinase inhibitor beta (PKIbeta) form of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor exists in multiple isoforms, some of which are specific inhibitors of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase, whereas others also inhibit the cGMP-dependent enzyme [Kumar, Van Patten and Walsh (1997), J. Biol. Chem. 272, 20011-20020]. We have now demonstrated that the switch from a cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA)-specific inhibitor to one with dual specificity arises as a consequence of alternate gene splicing. We have confirmed using bacterially produced pure protein that a single inhibitor species has dual specificity for both PKA and cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), inhibiting each with very high and closely similar inhibitory potencies. The gene splicing converted a protein with 70 amino acids into one of 109 amino acids, and did not change the inhibitory potency to PKA, but changed it from a protein that had no detectable PKG inhibitory activity to one that now inhibited PKG in the nanomolar range.

Molecular Dynamics simulations of Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins and identification of potential small molecule inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jayakumar, Jayanthi; Anishetty, Sharmila

2014-05-01

Chemotherapeutic resistance due to over expression of Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins (IAPs) XIAP, survivin and livin has been observed in various cancers. In the current study, Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out for all three IAPs and a common ligand binding scaffold was identified. Further, a novel sequence based motif specific to these IAPs was designed. SMAC is an endogenous inhibitor of IAPs. Screening of ChemBank for compounds similar to lead SMAC-non-peptidomimetics yielded a cemadotin related compound NCIMech_000654. Cemadotin is a derivative of natural anti-tumor peptide dolastatin-15; hence these compounds were docked against all three IAPs. Based on our analysis, we propose that NCIMech_000654/dolastatin-15/cemadotin derivatives may be investigated for their potential in inhibiting XIAP, survivin and livin. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Squash inhibitor family of serine proteinases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otlewski, J.; Krowarsch, D.

1996-01-01

Squash inhibitors of serine proteinases form an uniform family of small proteins. They are built of 27-33 amino-acid residues and cross-linked with three disulfide bridges. The reactive site peptide bond (P1-P1') is between residue 5 (Lys, Arg or Leu) and 6 (always Ile). High resolution X-ray structures are available for two squash inhibitors complexed with trypsin. NMR solution structures have also been determined for free inhibitors. The major structural motif is a distorted, triple-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet. A similar folding motif has been recently found in a number of proteins, including: conotoxins from fish-hunting snails, carboxypeptidase inhibitor from potato, kalata B1 polypeptide, and in some growth factors (e.g. nerve growth factor, transforming growth factor β2, platelet-derived growth factor). Squash inhibitors are highly stable and rigid proteins. They inhibit a number of serine proteinases: trypsin, plasmin, kallikrein, blood clotting factors: X a and XII a , cathepsin G. The inhibition spectrum can be much broadened if specific amino-acid substitutions are introduced, especially at residues which contact proteinase. Squash inhibitors inhibit proteinases via the standard mechanism. According to the mechanism, inhibitors are substrates which exhibit at neutral pH a high k cat /K m index for hydrolysis and resynthesis of the reactive site, and a low value of the hydrolysis constant. (author)

Endogenous collagen peptide activation of CD1d-restricted NKT cells ameliorates tissue-specific inflammation in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yawei; Teige, Anna; Mondoc, Emma; Ibrahim, Saleh; Holmdahl, Rikard; Issazadeh-Navikas, Shohreh

2011-01-01

NKT cells in the mouse recognize antigen in the context of the MHC class I-like molecule CD1d and play an important role in peripheral tolerance and protection against autoimmune and other diseases. NKT cells are usually activated by CD1d-presented lipid antigens. However, peptide recognition in the context of CD1 has also been documented, although no self-peptide ligands have been reported to date. Here, we have identified an endogenous peptide that is presented by CD1d to activate mouse NKT cells. This peptide, the immunodominant epitope from mouse collagen type II (mCII707-721), was not associated with either MHC class I or II. Activation of CD1d-restricted mCII707-721-specific NKT cells was induced via TCR signaling and classical costimulation. In addition, mCII707-721-specific NKT cells induced T cell death through Fas/FasL, in an IL-17A-independent fashion. Moreover, mCII707-721-specific NKT cells suppressed a range of in vivo inflammatory conditions, including delayed-type hypersensitivity, antigen-induced airway inflammation, collagen-induced arthritis, and EAE, which were all ameliorated by mCII707-721 vaccination. The findings presented here offer new insight into the intrinsic roles of NKT cells in health and disease. Given the results, endogenous collagen peptide activators of NKT cells may offer promise as novel therapeutics in tissue-specific autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Sequence-specific inhibition of duck hepatitis B virus reverse transcription by peptide nucleic acids (PNA)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Robaczewska, Magdalena; Narayan, Ramamurthy; Seigneres, Beatrice

2005-01-01

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) appear as promising new antisense agents, that have not yet been examined as hepatitis B virus (HBV) inhibitors. Our aim was to study the ability of PNAs targeting the duck HBV (DHBV) encapsidation signal epsilon to inhibit reverse transcription (RT...... in primary duck hepatocytes (PDH). RESULTS: Both PNAs reproducibly inhibited DHBV RT in a dose-dependent manner with IC(50) of 10nM, whereas up to 600-fold higher concentration of S-ODNs was required for similar inhibition. The PNA targeting the bulge and upper stem of epsilon appeared as more efficient RT...

The Nonglycemic Actions of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Na-Hyung Kim

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A cell surface serine protease, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4, cleaves dipeptide from peptides containing proline or alanine in the N-terminal penultimate position. Two important incretin hormones, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP, enhance meal-stimulated insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells, but are inactivated by DPP-4. Diabetes and hyperglycemia increase the DPP-4 protein level and enzymatic activity in blood and tissues. In addition, multiple other functions of DPP-4 suggest that DPP-4 inhibitor, a new class of antidiabetic agents, may have pleiotropic effects. Studies have shown that DPP-4 itself is involved in the inflammatory signaling pathway, the stimulation of vascular smooth cell proliferation, and the stimulation of oxidative stress in various cells. DPP-4 inhibitor ameliorates these pathophysiologic processes and has been shown to have cardiovascular protective effects in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. However, in recent randomized clinical trials, DPP-4 inhibitor therapy in high risk patients with type 2 diabetes did not show cardiovascular protective effects. Some concerns on the actions of DPP-4 inhibitor include sympathetic activation and neuropeptide Y-mediated vascular responses. Further studies are required to fully characterize the cardiovascular effects of DPP-4 inhibitor.

Perturbation of estrogen receptor α localization with synthetic nona-arginine LXXLL-peptide coactivator binding inhibitors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Carraz, M.; Zwart, W.; Phan, T.; Michalides, R.; Brunsveld, L.

2009-01-01

The interaction of estrogen receptor a (ERa) with the consensus LXXLL motifs of transcriptional coactivators provides an entry for functional ERa inhibition. Here, synthetic cell-permeable LXXLL peptide probes are brought forward that allow evaluation of the interaction of specific recognition

A fusion-inhibiting peptide against Rift Valley fever virus inhibits multiple, diverse viruses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey W Koehler

Full Text Available For enveloped viruses, fusion of the viral envelope with a cellular membrane is critical for a productive infection to occur. This fusion process is mediated by at least three classes of fusion proteins (Class I, II, and III based on the protein sequence and structure. For Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV, the glycoprotein Gc (Class II fusion protein mediates this fusion event following entry into the endocytic pathway, allowing the viral genome access to the cell cytoplasm. Here, we show that peptides analogous to the RVFV Gc stem region inhibited RVFV infectivity in cell culture by inhibiting the fusion process. Further, we show that infectivity can be inhibited for diverse, unrelated RNA viruses that have Class I (Ebola virus, Class II (Andes virus, or Class III (vesicular stomatitis virus fusion proteins using this single peptide. Our findings are consistent with an inhibition mechanism similar to that proposed for stem peptide fusion inhibitors of dengue virus in which the RVFV inhibitory peptide first binds to both the virion and cell membranes, allowing it to traffic with the virus into the endocytic pathway. Upon acidification and rearrangement of Gc, the peptide is then able to specifically bind to Gc and prevent fusion of the viral and endocytic membranes, thus inhibiting viral infection. These results could provide novel insights into conserved features among the three classes of viral fusion proteins and offer direction for the future development of broadly active fusion inhibitors.

Effect of the renal natriuretic peptide, ularitide, alone or combined ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effect of the renal natriuretic peptide, ularitide, alone or combined with ... inhibitor, Omapatrilat, on experimental volume overloadinduced congestive heart failure in ... N-terminal pro–brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity ...

A preliminary electron microscopic investigation into the interaction between Aβ1-42 peptide and a novel nanoliposome- coupled retro-inverso peptide inhibitor, developed as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease

Science.gov (United States)

Sherer, M.; Fullwood, N. J.; Taylor, M.; Allsop, D.

2015-10-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that results in severe cognitive and functional decline in sufferers and for which there are currently no effective treatments to halt or reverse disease progression. AD is the most common form of dementia and age is the major risk factor for this disease. With worldwide population structures changing as increasing number of individuals survive into old age, there is urgent need for novel disease modifying treatments for this condition, which has profound effects upon sufferers in addition to those around them. Some of us have previously developed a peptide inhibitor of Aβ1-42 aggregation (RI-OR2-TAT) that has been shown to reduce Aβ1-42 pathology in vivo in mouse models of AD. ∼1690 copies of RI-OR2-TAT have been covalently attached to nanoliposome carrier particles forming Peptide Inhibitor NanoParticles (PINPs), and this study investigated the effect of PINPs upon Aβ1-42 aggregation at the molecular level. Our results show that PINPs are able to reduce Aβ1-42 aggregation and do so by binding early (oligomers) and late (fibrillar) stage aggregates. These results highlight the ability of PINPs to disrupt the formation of multiple Aβ1-42 aggregates capable of causing neurotoxicity and thus provide a strong case for PINPs to be carried forward into early stage clinical trials as a novel therapeutic option for the treatment of AD.

A cancer specific cell-penetrating peptide, BR2, for the efficient delivery of an scFv into cancer cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ki Jung Lim

Full Text Available Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs have proven very effective as intracellular delivery vehicles for various therapeutics. However, there are some concerns about non-specific penetration and cytotoxicity of CPPs for effective cancer treatments. Herein, based on the cell-penetrating motif of an anticancer peptide, buforin IIb, we designed several CPP derivatives with cancer cell specificity. Among the derivatives, a 17-amino acid peptide (BR2 was found to have cancer-specificity without toxicity to normal cells. After specifically targeting cancer cells through interaction with gangliosides, BR2 entered cells via lipid-mediated macropinocytosis. Moreover, BR2 showed higher membrane translocation efficiency than the well-known CPP Tat (49-57. The capability of BR2 as a cancer-specific drug carrier was demonstrated by fusion of BR2 to a single-chain variable fragment (scFv directed toward a mutated K-ras (G12V. BR2-fused scFv induced a higher degree of apoptosis than Tat-fused scFv in K-ras mutated HCT116 cells. These results suggest that the novel cell-penetrating peptide BR2 has great potential as a useful drug delivery carrier with cancer cell specificity.

A cancer specific cell-penetrating peptide, BR2, for the efficient delivery of an scFv into cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Ki Jung; Sung, Bong Hyun; Shin, Ju Ri; Lee, Young Woong; Kim, Da Jung; Yang, Kyung Seok; Kim, Sun Chang

2013-01-01

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have proven very effective as intracellular delivery vehicles for various therapeutics. However, there are some concerns about non-specific penetration and cytotoxicity of CPPs for effective cancer treatments. Herein, based on the cell-penetrating motif of an anticancer peptide, buforin IIb, we designed several CPP derivatives with cancer cell specificity. Among the derivatives, a 17-amino acid peptide (BR2) was found to have cancer-specificity without toxicity to normal cells. After specifically targeting cancer cells through interaction with gangliosides, BR2 entered cells via lipid-mediated macropinocytosis. Moreover, BR2 showed higher membrane translocation efficiency than the well-known CPP Tat (49-57). The capability of BR2 as a cancer-specific drug carrier was demonstrated by fusion of BR2 to a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) directed toward a mutated K-ras (G12V). BR2-fused scFv induced a higher degree of apoptosis than Tat-fused scFv in K-ras mutated HCT116 cells. These results suggest that the novel cell-penetrating peptide BR2 has great potential as a useful drug delivery carrier with cancer cell specificity.

Discovery of a small-molecule inhibitor of Dvl-CXXC5 interaction by computational approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Songling; Choi, Jiwon; Jin, Xuemei; Kim, Hyun-Yi; Yun, Ji-Hye; Lee, Weontae; Choi, Kang-Yell; No, Kyoung Tai

2018-05-01

The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays a significant role in the control of osteoblastogenesis and bone formation. CXXC finger protein 5 (CXXC5) has been recently identified as a negative feedback regulator of osteoblast differentiation through a specific interaction with Dishevelled (Dvl) protein. It was reported that targeting the Dvl-CXXC5 interaction could be a novel anabolic therapeutic target for osteoporosis. In this study, complex structure of Dvl PDZ domain and CXXC5 peptide was simulated with molecular dynamics (MD). Based on the structural analysis of binding modes of MD-simulated Dvl PDZ domain with CXXC5 peptide and crystal Dvl PDZ domain with synthetic peptide-ligands, we generated two different pharmacophore models and applied pharmacophore-based virtual screening to discover potent inhibitors of the Dvl-CXXC5 interaction for the anabolic therapy of osteoporosis. Analysis of 16 compounds selected by means of a virtual screening protocol yielded four compounds that effectively disrupted the Dvl-CXXC5 interaction in the fluorescence polarization assay. Potential compounds were validated by fluorescence spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. We successfully identified a highly potent inhibitor, BMD4722, which directly binds to the Dvl PDZ domain and disrupts the Dvl-CXXC5 interaction. Overall, CXXC5-Dvl PDZ domain complex based pharmacophore combined with various traditional and simple computational methods is a promising approach for the development of modulators targeting the Dvl-CXXC5 interaction, and the potent inhibitor BMD4722 could serve as a starting point to discover or design more potent and specific the Dvl-CXXC5 interaction disruptors.

Discovery of a small-molecule inhibitor of Dvl-CXXC5 interaction by computational approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Songling; Choi, Jiwon; Jin, Xuemei; Kim, Hyun-Yi; Yun, Ji-Hye; Lee, Weontae; Choi, Kang-Yell; No, Kyoung Tai

2018-04-07

The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays a significant role in the control of osteoblastogenesis and bone formation. CXXC finger protein 5 (CXXC5) has been recently identified as a negative feedback regulator of osteoblast differentiation through a specific interaction with Dishevelled (Dvl) protein. It was reported that targeting the Dvl-CXXC5 interaction could be a novel anabolic therapeutic target for osteoporosis. In this study, complex structure of Dvl PDZ domain and CXXC5 peptide was simulated with molecular dynamics (MD). Based on the structural analysis of binding modes of MD-simulated Dvl PDZ domain with CXXC5 peptide and crystal Dvl PDZ domain with synthetic peptide-ligands, we generated two different pharmacophore models and applied pharmacophore-based virtual screening to discover potent inhibitors of the Dvl-CXXC5 interaction for the anabolic therapy of osteoporosis. Analysis of 16 compounds selected by means of a virtual screening protocol yielded four compounds that effectively disrupted the Dvl-CXXC5 interaction in the fluorescence polarization assay. Potential compounds were validated by fluorescence spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. We successfully identified a highly potent inhibitor, BMD4722, which directly binds to the Dvl PDZ domain and disrupts the Dvl-CXXC5 interaction. Overall, CXXC5-Dvl PDZ domain complex based pharmacophore combined with various traditional and simple computational methods is a promising approach for the development of modulators targeting the Dvl-CXXC5 interaction, and the potent inhibitor BMD4722 could serve as a starting point to discover or design more potent and specific the Dvl-CXXC5 interaction disruptors.

Intervention with Serine Protease Activity with Small Peptides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, Peng

2015-01-01

Serine proteases perform proteolytic reactions in many physiological and metabolic processes and have been certified as targets for therapeutics. Small peptides can be used as potent antagonists to target serine proteases and intervene with their activities. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u......PA) plays an important role in plasminogen activation system, which has many physiological and pathological functions and is closely associated with the metastasis of tumor cells. Based on a mono-cyclic peptidic inhibitor of murine uPA (muPA), mupain-1, which was screened out from a phage-display library...... before, we elucidated the binding and inhibitory mechanism by using multiple techniques, like X-ray crystallography, site-directed mutagenesis, isothermal titration calorimetry and surface plasmon resonance analysis. By studying the peptide-enzyme interaction, we discovered an unusual inhibitor...

Study of pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of radiolabelled receptor specific peptides in laboratory animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laznickova, A.; Laznicek, M.; Trejtnar, F.; Maecke, H.R.; Mather, S.J.

2001-01-01

Somatostatin analogues labelled with different radionuclides could be employed for visualization or treatment of somatostatin receptor-positive tumours. An octapeptide 111 In [DTPA] octreotide is a synthetic radiolabelled somatostatin analogue which is currently in clinical use for detecting small neuroendocrine tumours and metastases not detectable by conventional means. However, several other somatostatin analogues have been under development and testing. The aim of this study was to radiolabel selected somatostatin receptor-binding octapeptides by different radionuclides and to report the results of their biodistribution in rats. The study was focused on the direct labelling of vapreotide (RC-160) with 99m Tc, on the conjugates of octreotide with DFO (desferrioxamine) for labelling with 67 Ga, and on the conjugates of octreotide and TOC with DOTA (tetraazacyclo-dodecane tetraacetic acid) for labelling with 88 Y. In the present study, 88 Y isotope instead of 90 Y was used as a label as 88 Y exhibits a longer half life of decay and emits gamma radiation which can be much more easily detected in biological samples than beta emission. The labelling of octreotide analogues with metal radionuclides using derived bifunctional chelates was simple, straightforward and consistently resulted in high radiochemical purity of the product. On the other hand, the application of the direct labelling method for labelling of RC-160 with 99m Tc was difficult because all procedures had to be made under nitrogen atmosphere and an attainment of high yield proved to be highly dependent on the accurate observation of reaction conditions. The labelling efficiency makes an immediate use of the radiolabelled RC-160 for biological studies impossible and it is necessary to involve the purification step into the labelling procedure. All radiolabelled receptor specific peptides under study exhibited rapid radioactivity clearance from the blood and most organs and tissues. On the other hand

Stereochemical determinants of C-terminal specificity in PDZ peptide-binding domains: a novel contribution of the carboxylate-binding loop.

Science.gov (United States)

Amacher, Jeanine F; Cushing, Patrick R; Bahl, Christopher D; Beck, Tobias; Madden, Dean R

2013-02-15

PDZ (PSD-95/Dlg/ZO-1) binding domains often serve as cellular traffic engineers, controlling the localization and activity of a wide variety of binding partners. As a result, they play important roles in both physiological and pathological processes. However, PDZ binding specificities overlap, allowing multiple PDZ proteins to mediate distinct effects on shared binding partners. For example, several PDZ domains bind the cystic fibrosis (CF) transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), an epithelial ion channel mutated in CF. Among these binding partners, the CFTR-associated ligand (CAL) facilitates post-maturational degradation of the channel and is thus a potential therapeutic target. Using iterative optimization, we previously developed a selective CAL inhibitor peptide (iCAL36). Here, we investigate the stereochemical basis of iCAL36 specificity. The crystal structure of iCAL36 in complex with the CAL PDZ domain reveals stereochemical interactions distributed along the peptide-binding cleft, despite the apparent degeneracy of the CAL binding motif. A critical selectivity determinant that distinguishes CAL from other CFTR-binding PDZ domains is the accommodation of an isoleucine residue at the C-terminal position (P(0)), a characteristic shared with the Tax-interacting protein-1. Comparison of the structures of these two PDZ domains in complex with ligands containing P(0) Leu or Ile residues reveals two distinct modes of accommodation for β-branched C-terminal side chains. Access to each mode is controlled by distinct residues in the carboxylate-binding loop. These studies provide new insights into the primary sequence determinants of binding motifs, which in turn control the scope and evolution of PDZ interactomes.

Pharmacological characterization of potent and selective NaV1.7 inhibitors engineered from Chilobrachys jingzhao tarantula venom peptide JzTx-V.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bryan D Moyer

Full Text Available Identification of voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.7 inhibitors for chronic pain therapeutic development is an area of vigorous pursuit. In an effort to identify more potent leads compared to our previously reported GpTx-1 peptide series, electrophysiology screening of fractionated tarantula venom discovered the NaV1.7 inhibitory peptide JzTx-V from the Chinese earth tiger tarantula Chilobrachys jingzhao. The parent peptide displayed nominal selectivity over the skeletal muscle NaV1.4 channel. Attribute-based positional scan analoging identified a key Ile28Glu mutation that improved NaV1.4 selectivity over 100-fold, and further optimization yielded the potent and selective peptide leads AM-8145 and AM-0422. NMR analyses revealed that the Ile28Glu substitution changed peptide conformation, pointing to a structural rationale for the selectivity gains. AM-8145 and AM-0422 as well as GpTx-1 and HwTx-IV competed for ProTx-II binding in HEK293 cells expressing human NaV1.7, suggesting that these NaV1.7 inhibitory peptides interact with a similar binding site. AM-8145 potently blocked native tetrodotoxin-sensitive (TTX-S channels in mouse dorsal root ganglia (DRG neurons, exhibited 30- to 120-fold selectivity over other human TTX-S channels and exhibited over 1,000-fold selectivity over other human tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R channels. Leveraging NaV1.7-NaV1.5 chimeras containing various voltage-sensor and pore regions, AM-8145 mapped to the second voltage-sensor domain of NaV1.7. AM-0422, but not the inactive peptide analog AM-8374, dose-dependently blocked capsaicin-induced DRG neuron action potential firing using a multi-electrode array readout and mechanically-induced C-fiber spiking in a saphenous skin-nerve preparation. Collectively, AM-8145 and AM-0422 represent potent, new engineered NaV1.7 inhibitory peptides derived from the JzTx-V scaffold with improved NaV selectivity and biological activity in blocking action potential firing in both

Isolation of prolyl endopeptidase inhibitory peptides from a sodium caseinate hydrolysate.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, Cheng-Hong; Wang, Tzu-Yuan; Hung, Chuan-Chuan; Hsieh, You-Liang; Hsu, Kuo-Chiang

2016-01-01

Prolyl endopeptidase (PEP) has been associated with neurodegenerative disorders, and the PEP inhibitors can restore the memory loss caused by amnesic compounds. In this study, we investigated the PEP inhibitory activity of the enzymatic hydrolysates from various food protein sources, and isolated and identified the PEP inhibitory peptides. The hydrolysate obtained from sodium caseinate using bromelain (SC/BML) displayed the highest inhibitory activity of 86.8% at 5 mg mL(-1) in the present study, and its IC50 value against PEP was 0.77 mg mL(-1). The F-5 fraction by RP-HPLC (reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography) from SC/BML showed the highest PEP inhibition rate of 88.4%, and 9 peptide sequences were identified. The synthetic peptides (1245.63-1787.94 Da) showed dose-dependent inhibition effects on PEP as competitive inhibitors with IC50 values between 29.8 and 650.5 μM. The results suggest that the peptides derived from sodium caseinate have the potential to be PEP inhibitors.

PEGylated DX-1000: Pharmacokinetics and Antineoplastic Activity of a Specific Plasmin Inhibitor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laetitia Devy

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Novel inhibitors of the urokinase-mediated plasminogen (plg activation system are potentially of great clinical benefit as anticancer treatments. Using phage display, we identified DX-1000 a tissue factor pathway inhibitor-derived Kunitz domain protein which is a specific high-affinity inhibitor of plasmin (pin (Ki = 99 pM. When tested in vitro, DX-1000 blocks plasminmediated pro-matrix metal loproteinase-9 (proMMP-9 activation on cells and dose-dependently inhibits tube formation, while not significantly affecting hemostasis and coagulation. However, this low-molecular weight protein inhibitor (~ 7 kDa exhibits rapid plasma clearance in mice and rabbits, limiting its potential clinical use in chronic diseases. After site-specific PEGylation, DX-1000 retains its activity and exhibits a decreased plasma clearance. This PEGylated derivative is effective in vitro, as well as potent in inhibiting tumor growth of green fluorescent protein (GFP-labeled MDA-MB-231 cells. 4PEG-DX-1000 treatment causes a significant reduction of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA and plasminogen expressions, a reduction of tumor proliferation, and vascularization. 4PEG-DX-1000 treatment significantly decreases the level of active mitogenactivated protein kinase (MAPK in the primary tumors and reduces metastasis incidence. Together, our results demonstrate the potential value of plasmin inhibitors as therapeutic agents for blocking breast cancer growth and metastasis.

Novel Protein-Protein Inhibitor Based Approach to Control Plant Ethylene Responses: Synthetic Peptides for Ripening Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mareike Kessenbrock

2017-09-01

and phenotypic studies reveal that peptide biologicals could contribute to the development of a novel family of ripening inhibitors and innovative ripening control in climacteric fruit.

Novel β-amyloid aggregation inhibitors possessing a turn mimic.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamada, Yoshio; Miyamoto, Naoko; Kiso, Yoshiaki

2015-04-01

Amyloid β peptide, the main component of senile plaques found in the brain of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients, is a molecular target for AD therapeutic intervention. A number of potential AD therapeutics have been reported, including inhibitors of β-secretase, γ-secretase, and Aβ aggregation, and anti-amyloid agents, such as neprilysin, insulin degrading enzyme (IDE), and Aβ antibodies. Recently, we reported potent small-sized β-secretase (BACE1) inhibitors, which could serve as anti-AD drugs. However AD is a progressive disorder, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over several decades, and therefore may require many years to get cured. One possible way to achieve a greater therapeutic effect is through simultaneous administration of multiple drugs, similar to those used in Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) used to treat AIDS. In order to overcome AD, we took a drug discovery approach to evaluate, novel β-amyloid aggregation inhibitors. Previously, we reported that a tong-type compound possessing a turn mimic as the inhibitor of HIV-1 protease dimerization. Oligomerized amyloid β peptides contain a turn structure within the molecule. Here, we designed and synthesized novel β-amyloid aggregation inhibitors with a turn-mimic template, based on the turn conformer of the oligomerized amyloid β peptides. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design of potent inhibitors of human RAD51 recombinase based on BRC motifs of BRCA2 protein: modeling and experimental validation of a chimera peptide.

KAUST Repository

Nomme, Julian; Renodon-Corniè re, Axelle; Asanomi, Yuya; Sakaguchi, Kazuyasu; Stasiak, Alicja Z; Stasiak, Andrzej; Norden, Bengt; Tran, Vinh; Takahashi, Masayuki

2010-01-01

We have previously shown that a 28-amino acid peptide derived from the BRC4 motif of BRCA2 tumor suppressor inhibits selectively human RAD51 recombinase (HsRad51). With the aim of designing better inhibitors for cancer treatment, we combined an in silico docking approach with in vitro biochemical testing to construct a highly efficient chimera peptide from eight existing human BRC motifs. We built a molecular model of all BRC motifs complexed with HsRad51 based on the crystal structure of the BRC4 motif-HsRad51 complex, computed the interaction energy of each residue in each BRC motif, and selected the best amino acid residue at each binding position. This analysis enabled us to propose four amino acid substitutions in the BRC4 motif. Three of these increased the inhibitory effect in vitro, and this effect was found to be additive. We thus obtained a peptide that is about 10 times more efficient in inhibiting HsRad51-ssDNA complex formation than the original peptide.

Design of potent inhibitors of human RAD51 recombinase based on BRC motifs of BRCA2 protein: modeling and experimental validation of a chimera peptide.

KAUST Repository

Nomme, Julian

2010-08-01

We have previously shown that a 28-amino acid peptide derived from the BRC4 motif of BRCA2 tumor suppressor inhibits selectively human RAD51 recombinase (HsRad51). With the aim of designing better inhibitors for cancer treatment, we combined an in silico docking approach with in vitro biochemical testing to construct a highly efficient chimera peptide from eight existing human BRC motifs. We built a molecular model of all BRC motifs complexed with HsRad51 based on the crystal structure of the BRC4 motif-HsRad51 complex, computed the interaction energy of each residue in each BRC motif, and selected the best amino acid residue at each binding position. This analysis enabled us to propose four amino acid substitutions in the BRC4 motif. Three of these increased the inhibitory effect in vitro, and this effect was found to be additive. We thus obtained a peptide that is about 10 times more efficient in inhibiting HsRad51-ssDNA complex formation than the original peptide.

Cell penetrating peptides to dissect host-pathogen protein-protein interactions in Theileria -transformed leukocytes

KAUST Repository

Haidar, Malak

2017-09-08

One powerful application of cell penetrating peptides is the delivery into cells of molecules that function as specific competitors or inhibitors of protein-protein interactions. Ablating defined protein-protein interactions is a refined way to explore their contribution to a particular cellular phenotype in a given disease context. Cell-penetrating peptides can be synthetically constrained through various chemical modifications that stabilize a given structural fold with the potential to improve competitive binding to specific targets. Theileria-transformed leukocytes display high PKA activity, but PKAis an enzyme that plays key roles in multiple cellular processes; consequently genetic ablation of kinase activity gives rise to a myriad of confounding phenotypes. By contrast, ablation of a specific kinase-substrate interaction has the potential to give more refined information and we illustrate this here by describing how surgically ablating PKA interactions with BAD gives precise information on the type of glycolysis performed by Theileria-transformed leukocytes. In addition, we provide two other examples of how ablating specific protein-protein interactions in Theileria-infected leukocytes leads to precise phenotypes and argue that constrained penetrating peptides have great therapeutic potential to combat infectious diseases in general.

Identification of STAT1 and STAT3 specific inhibitors using comparative virtual screening and docking validation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malgorzata Szelag

Full Text Available Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs facilitate action of cytokines, growth factors and pathogens. STAT activation is mediated by a highly conserved SH2 domain, which interacts with phosphotyrosine motifs for specific STAT-receptor contacts and STAT dimerization. The active dimers induce gene transcription in the nucleus by binding to a specific DNA-response element in the promoter of target genes. Abnormal activation of STAT signaling pathways is implicated in many human diseases, like cancer, inflammation and auto-immunity. Searches for STAT-targeting compounds, exploring the phosphotyrosine (pTyr-SH2 interaction site, yielded many small molecules for STAT3 but sparsely for other STATs. However, many of these inhibitors seem not STAT3-specific, thereby questioning the present modeling and selection strategies of SH2 domain-based STAT inhibitors. We generated new 3D structure models for all human (hSTATs and developed a comparative in silico docking strategy to obtain further insight into STAT-SH2 cross-binding specificity of a selection of previously identified STAT3 inhibitors. Indeed, by primarily targeting the highly conserved pTyr-SH2 binding pocket the majority of these compounds exhibited similar binding affinity and tendency scores for all STATs. By comparative screening of a natural product library we provided initial proof for the possibility to identify STAT1 as well as STAT3-specific inhibitors, introducing the 'STAT-comparative binding affinity value' and 'ligand binding pose variation' as selection criteria. In silico screening of a multi-million clean leads (CL compound library for binding of all STATs, likewise identified potential specific inhibitors for STAT1 and STAT3 after docking validation. Based on comparative virtual screening and docking validation, we developed a novel STAT inhibitor screening tool that allows identification of specific STAT1 and STAT3 inhibitory compounds. This could increase our

Novel endogenous angiogenesis inhibitors and their therapeutic potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Nithya; Lee, Yu Fei; Ge, Ruowen

2015-10-01

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from the pre-existing vasculature is essential for embryonic development and tissue homeostasis. It also plays critical roles in diseases such as cancer and retinopathy. A delicate balance between pro- and anti-angiogenic factors ensures normal physiological homeostasis. Endogenous angiogenesis inhibitors are proteins or protein fragments that are formed in the body and have the ability to limit angiogenesis. Many endogenous angiogenesis inhibitors have been discovered, and the list continues to grow. Endogenous protein/peptide inhibitors are relatively less toxic, better tolerated and have a lower risk of drug resistance, which makes them attractive as drug candidates. In this review, we highlight ten novel endogenous protein angiogenesis inhibitors discovered within the last five years, including ISM1, FKBPL, CHIP, ARHGAP18, MMRN2, SOCS3, TAp73, ZNF24, GPR56 and JWA. Although some of these proteins have been well characterized for other biological functions, we focus on their new and specific roles in angiogenesis inhibition and discuss their potential for therapeutic application.

Synthesis of the proteinase inhibitor LEKTI domain 6 by the fragment condensation method and regioselective disulfide bond formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasileiou, Zoe; Barlos, Kostas K; Gatos, Dimitrios; Adermann, Knut; Deraison, Celine; Barlos, Kleomenis

2010-01-01

Proteinase inhibitors are of high pharmaceutical interest and are drug candidates for a variety of indications. Specific kallikrein inhibitors are important for their antitumor activity and their potential application to the treatment of skin diseases. In this study we describe the synthesis of domain 6 of the kallikrein inhibitor Lympho-Epithilial Kazal-Type Inhibitor (LEKTI) by the fragment condensation method and site-directed cystine bridge formation. To obtain the linear LEKTI precursor, the condensation was best performed in solution, coupling the protected fragment 1-22 to 23-68. This method yielded LEKTI domain 6 of high purity and equipotent to the recombinantly produced peptide. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Identifying immunogenic CD4+ T-cell epitopes of Myeloid cell leukemia 1 using overlapping 20-mer peptides spanning the whole protein

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Woodworth, Joshua S.; Agger, Else Marie; Hansen, Paul Robert

2015-01-01

) small-molecule inhibitors [6] and (iii) peptide inhibitors [7]. In recent years, therapeutic vaccination with synthetic peptides derived from anti-apoptotic proteins such as Mcl-1 has emerged as a promising strategy against hematological cancers. In this study, 34 overlapping 20-mer peptides, spanning...

Effects of phosphodiesterase inhibitors on atrial dynamics induced by C-type natriuretic peptide in isolated beating rabbit atria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Dazhi; Cui Xun; Jin Xiunan; Lan Ying; Liu Liping; Hong Lan

2010-01-01

Objective: To investigate the effects of phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDEI) on atrial dynamics induced by C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) and the contents of cyclic nucleotide (cAMP, cGMP) in isolated beating rabbit atria. Methods: After the rabbits had been anesthetized, the hearts were removed rapidly. The left auricles were isolated and fixed on the atrial perfusion system. The atrial stroke volume and the pulse pressure were observed by CNP with or without PDEIs pretreatment. The contents of cAMP and cGMP were measured by radioimmunoassay. Results: (1)Compared with control cycle group, CNP (30.0 nmol · L -1 ) obviously decreased the atrial stroke volume and pulse pressure (P 0.05). (2)Compared with control cycle group, IBMX(1000.0 nmol · L -1 ), a non-selective inhibitor of PDE, significantly increased the atrial stroke volume, pulse pressure, cAMP and cGMP contents (P -1 ) plus CNP (30.0 nmol · L -1 )group and IBMX group (P>0.05). (3)Compared with control cycle group, EHNA(30.0 nmol · L -1 ), an inhibitor of PDE2, obviously decreased the atrial stroke volume and pulse pressure (P 0.05). EHNA(30.0 nmol · L -1 ) plus CNP (30.0 nmol · L -1 ) showed similar roles with EHNA only. (4)Compared with control cycle group, milrinone (1.0 nmol · L -1 ), an inhibitor of PDE3, significantly increased the content of cAMP (P 0.05). CNP (30.0 nmol · L -1 ) obviously decreased the atrial stroke volume and pulse pressure (P 0.05). Conclusion: CNP can inhibit atrial dynamics by increasing the content of cGMP, the different inhibitors of PDEs play different roles in the CNP-induced inhibition of atrial dynamics in isolated beating rabbit atria. (authors)

Grafting of a peptide probe for Prostate-Specific Antigen detection using diazonium electroreduction and click chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Strzemińska, I; Sainte Rose Fanchine, S; Anquetin, G; Reisberg, S; Noël, V; Pham, M C; Piro, B

2016-07-15

The main objective of this work was to validate a label-free electrochemical method of protein detection using peptides as capture probes. As a proof-of-concept, we used a 7 amino acids sequence (HSSKLQL) specific for Prostate Specific Antigen. We investigated various electrografting conditions of two anilines (2-[(4-aminophenyl)sulfanyl]-8-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone and 4-azidoaniline) further converted in situ into their corresponding diazonium salts on glassy carbon electrodes. It was demonstrated that the best method to obtain a mixed layer is the simultaneous electroreduction of the two diazonium salts. 4-azidoaniline was used to covalently immobilize the ethynyl-functionalized peptide probe by click coupling, and the hydroxynaphthoquinone derivative plays the role of electrochemical transducer of the peptide-protein recognition. The proteolytic activity of PSA towards a small peptide substrate carrying streptavidin at its distal end was also investigated to design an original sensing architecture leading to a reagentless, label free, and "signal-on" PSA sensor. Without optimization, the limit of quantification can be estimated in the nM to pM range. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intelligent "Peptide-Gathering Mechanical Arm" Tames Wild "Trojan-Horse" Peptides for the Controlled Delivery of Cancer Nanotherapeutics.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Nian-Qiu; Li, Yan; Zhang, Yong; Shen, Nan; Qi, Ling; Wang, Shu-Ran; Qi, Xian-Rong

2017-12-06

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), also called "Trojan-Horse" peptides, have been used for facilitating intracellular delivery of numerous diverse cargoes and even nanocarriers. However, the lack of targeting specificity ("wildness" or nonselectivity) of CPP-nanocarriers remains an intractable challenge for many in vivo applications. In this work, we used an intelligent "peptide-gathering mechanical arm" (Int PMA) to curb CPPs' wildness and enhance the selectivity of R 9 -liposome-based cargo delivery for tumor targeting. The peptide NGR, serving as a cell-targeting peptide for anchoring, and peptide PLGLAG, serving as a substrate peptide for deanchoring, were embedded in the Int PMA motif. The Int PMA construct was designed to be sensitive to tumor microenvironmental stimuli, including aminopeptidase N (CD13) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2/9). Moreover, Int PMA could be specifically recognized by tumor tissues via CD13-mediated anchoring and released for cell entry by MMP-2/9-mediated deanchoring. To test the Int PMA design, a series of experiments were conducted in vitro and in vivo. Functional conjugates Int PMA-R 9 -poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) 2000 -distearoylphosphatidyl-ethanolamine (DSPE) and R 9 -PEG 2000 -DSPE were synthesized by Michael addition reaction and were characterized by thin-layer chromatography and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The Int PMA-R 9 -modified doxorubicin-loaded liposomes (Int PMA-R 9 -Lip-DOX) exhibited a proper particle diameter (approximately 155 nm) with in vitro sustained release characteristics. Cleavage assay showed that Int PMA-R 9 peptide molecules could be cleaved by MMP-2/9 for completion of deanchoring. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy studies indicated that Int PMA-R 9 -Lip-DOX can respond to both endogenous and exogenous stimuli in the presence/absence of excess MMP-2/9 and MMP-2/9 inhibitor (GM6001) and effectively function under competitive receptor

The Sam-Sam interaction between Ship2 and the EphA2 receptor: design and analysis of peptide inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Mercurio, Flavia Anna; Di Natale, Concetta; Pirone, Luciano; Iannitti, Roberta; Marasco, Daniela; Pedone, Emilia Maria; Palumbo, Rosanna; Leone, Marilisa

2017-12-12

The lipid phosphatase Ship2 represents a drug discovery target for the treatment of different diseases, including cancer. Its C-terminal sterile alpha motif domain (Ship2-Sam) associates with the Sam domain from the EphA2 receptor (EphA2-Sam). This interaction is expected to mainly induce pro-oncogenic effects in cells therefore, inhibition of the Ship2-Sam/EphA2-Sam complex may represent an innovative route to discover anti-cancer therapeutics. In the present work, we designed and analyzed several peptide sequences encompassing the interaction interface of EphA2-Sam for Ship2-Sam. Peptide conformational analyses and interaction assays with Ship2-Sam conducted through diverse techniques (CD, NMR, SPR and MST), identified a positively charged penta-amino acid native motif in EphA2-Sam, that once repeated three times in tandem, binds Ship2-Sam. NMR experiments show that the peptide targets the negatively charged binding site of Ship2-Sam for EphA2-Sam. Preliminary in vitro cell-based assays indicate that -at 50 µM concentration- it induces necrosis of PC-3 prostate cancer cells with more cytotoxic effect on cancer cells than on normal dermal fibroblasts. This work represents a pioneering study that opens further opportunities for the development of inhibitors of the Ship2-Sam/EphA2-Sam complex for therapeutic applications.

Acetylation site specificities of lysine deacetylase inhibitors in human cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schölz, Christian; Weinert, Brian Tate; Wagner, Sebastian A

2015-01-01

Lysine deacetylases inhibitors (KDACIs) are used in basic research, and many are being investigated in clinical trials for treatment of cancer and other diseases. However, their specificities in cells are incompletely characterized. Here we used quantitative mass spectrometry (MS) to obtain acety......1-α, providing a possible mechanistic explanation of its adverse, pro-inflammatory effects. Our results offer a systems view of KDACI specificities, providing a framework for studying function of acetylation and deacetylases....

Complete amino acid sequence of bovine colostrum low-Mr cysteine proteinase inhibitor.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirado, M; Tsunasawa, S; Sakiyama, F; Niinobe, M; Fujii, S

1985-07-01

The complete amino acid sequence of bovine colostrum cysteine proteinase inhibitor was determined by sequencing native inhibitor and peptides obtained by cyanogen bromide degradation, Achromobacter lysylendopeptidase digestion and partial acid hydrolysis of reduced and S-carboxymethylated protein. Achromobacter peptidase digestion was successfully used to isolate two disulfide-containing peptides. The inhibitor consists of 112 amino acids with an Mr of 12787. Two disulfide bonds were established between Cys 66 and Cys 77 and between Cys 90 and Cys 110. A high degree of homology in the sequence was found between the colostrum inhibitor and human gamma-trace, human salivary acidic protein and chicken egg-white cystatin.

C-peptide comparative radioimmunoassays: a study of three commercial kits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villaume, C.; Beck, B.

1983-01-01

Plasma C-peptide immunoreactivity (CPR) was measured in 18 fasting subjects with three different commercial kits (RIA-mat C-peptide-, Byk-Mallinckrodt; RIA-gnost-hC-peptide, Hoechst-Behring; human C-peptide radioimmunoassay kit, Novo) The subjects were chosen as to cover a wide range of CPR concentrations (five healthy subjects, six obese subjects, three insulin-dependent diabetics, four normal subjects whose plasmas had been kept at - 20 0 C for periods of 16 or 36 months). CPR was measured with the Novo kit in eight other plasmas which were kept over a period of 36 months, with or without aprotinin. Good correlations have been established among the values found with the three kits. However, absolute concentration values for each subject as well as the dispersion of all plasma C-peptide values varied as a function of the kit used because of antibody specificity differences and because of the various separation methods. The normal range proposed changes with each kit and the blood CPR of a subject can be a normal, reduced or increased one, depending on the kit used. After several months of storage, plasma CPR degradation is observed with the three kits. A protease-inhibitor is necessary in order to avoid this C-peptide degradation due to the apparent existence of a plasma proteolytic enzyme

A preliminary electron microscopic investigation into the interaction between Aβ1-42 peptide and a novel nanoliposome- coupled retro-inverso peptide inhibitor, developed as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sherer, M; Fullwood, N J; Taylor, M; Allsop, D

2015-01-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that results in severe cognitive and functional decline in sufferers and for which there are currently no effective treatments to halt or reverse disease progression. AD is the most common form of dementia and age is the major risk factor for this disease. With worldwide population structures changing as increasing number of individuals survive into old age, there is urgent need for novel disease modifying treatments for this condition, which has profound effects upon sufferers in addition to those around them. Some of us have previously developed a peptide inhibitor of Aβ 1-42 aggregation (RI-OR2-TAT) that has been shown to reduce Aβ 1-42 pathology in vivo in mouse models of AD. ∼1690 copies of RI-OR2-TAT have been covalently attached to nanoliposome carrier particles forming Peptide Inhibitor NanoParticles (PINPs), and this study investigated the effect of PINPs upon Aβ 1-42 aggregation at the molecular level. Our results show that PINPs are able to reduce Aβ 1-42 aggregation and do so by binding early (oligomers) and late (fibrillar) stage aggregates. These results highlight the ability of PINPs to disrupt the formation of multiple Aβ 1-42 aggregates capable of causing neurotoxicity and thus provide a strong case for PINPs to be carried forward into early stage clinical trials as a novel therapeutic option for the treatment of AD. (paper)

Propiconazole is a specific and accessible brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis inhibitor for Arabidopsis and maize.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartwig, Thomas; Corvalan, Claudia; Best, Norman B; Budka, Joshua S; Zhu, Jia-Ying; Choe, Sunghwa; Schulz, Burkhard

2012-01-01

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are steroidal hormones that play pivotal roles during plant development. In addition to the characterization of BR deficient mutants, specific BR biosynthesis inhibitors played an essential role in the elucidation of BR function in plants. However, high costs and limited availability of common BR biosynthetic inhibitors constrain their key advantage as a species-independent tool to investigate BR function. We studied propiconazole (Pcz) as an alternative to the BR inhibitor brassinazole (Brz). Arabidopsis seedlings treated with Pcz phenocopied BR biosynthetic mutants. The steady state mRNA levels of BR, but not gibberellic acid (GA), regulated genes increased proportional to the concentrations of Pcz. Moreover, root inhibition and Pcz-induced expression of BR biosynthetic genes were rescued by 24epi-brassinolide, but not by GA(3) co-applications. Maize seedlings treated with Pcz showed impaired mesocotyl, coleoptile, and true leaf elongation. Interestingly, the genetic background strongly impacted the tissue specific sensitivity towards Pcz. Based on these findings we conclude that Pcz is a potent and specific inhibitor of BR biosynthesis and an alternative to Brz. The reduced cost and increased availability of Pcz, compared to Brz, opens new possibilities to study BR function in larger crop species.

Cathepsin D inhibitors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Gacko

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Inhibitors of cathepsin D belong to chemical compounds that estrify carboxyl groups of the Asp33 and Asp231residues of its catalytic site, penta-peptides containing statin, i.e. the amino acid similar in structure to the tetraedric indirectproduct, and polypeptides found in the spare organs of many plants and forming permanent noncovalent complexes withcathepsin. Cathepsin D activity is also inhibited by alpha2-macroglobulin and antibodies directed against this enzyme.Methods used to determine the activity and concentration of these inhibitors and their analytical, preparative and therapeuticapplications are discussed.

Detection of specific IgA antibodies against a novel deamidated 8-Mer gliadin peptide in blood plasma samples from celiac patients.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Vallejo-Diez

Full Text Available We studied whether celiac disease (CD patients produce antibodies against a novel gliadin peptide specifically generated in the duodenum of CD patients by a previously described pattern of CD-specific duodenal proteases. Fingerprinting and ion-trap mass spectrometry of CD-specific duodenal gliadin-degrading protease pattern revealed a new 8-mer gliadin-derived peptide. An ELISA against synthetic deamidated 8-mer peptides (DGP 8-mer was used to study the presence of IgA anti-DGP 8-mer antibodies in plasma samples from 81 children (31 active CD patients (aCD, 17 CD patients on a gluten-free diet (GFD, 10 healthy controls (C and 23 patients with other gastrointestinal pathology (GP and 101 adults (16 aCD, 12 GFD, 27 C and 46 GP-patients. Deamidation of the 8-mer peptide significantly increased the reactivity of the IgA antibodies from CD patients against the peptide. Significant IgA anti-DGP 8-mer antibodies levels were detected in 93.5% of aCD-, 11.8% of GFD- and 4.3% of GP-patients in children. In adults, antibodies were detected in 81.3% of aCD-patients and 8.3% of GFD-patients while were absent in 100% of C- and GP-patients. Duodenal CD-specific gliadin degrading proteases release an 8-mer gliadin peptide that once deamidated is an antigen for specific IgA antibodies in CD patients which may provide a new accurate diagnostic tool in CD.

pH-dependence of the specific binding of Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions to the amyloid-β peptide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghalebani, Leila; Wahlström, Anna; Danielsson, Jens; Wärmländer, Sebastian K.T.S.; Gräslund, Astrid

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Cu(II) and Zn(II) display pH-dependent binding to the Aβ(1–40) peptide. ► At pH 7.4 both metal ions display residue-specific binding to the Aβ peptide. ► At pH 5.5 the binding specificity is lost for Zn(II). ► Differential Cu(II) and Zn(II) binding may help explain metal-induced AD toxicity. -- Abstract: Metal ions like Cu(II) and Zn(II) are accumulated in Alzheimer’s disease amyloid plaques. The amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide involved in the disease interacts with these metal ions at neutral pH via ligands provided by the N-terminal histidines and the N-terminus. The present study uses high-resolution NMR spectroscopy to monitor the residue-specific interactions of Cu(II) and Zn(II) with 15 N- and 13 C, 15 N-labeled Aβ(1–40) peptides at varying pH levels. At pH 7.4 both ions bind to the specific ligands, competing with one another. At pH 5.5 Cu(II) retains its specific histidine ligands, while Zn(II) seems to lack residue-specific interactions. The low pH mimics acidosis which is linked to inflammatory processes in vivo. The results suggest that the cell toxic effects of redox active Cu(II) binding to Aβ may be reversed by the protective activity of non-redox active Zn(II) binding to the same major binding site under non-acidic conditions. Under acidic conditions, the protective effect of Zn(II) may be decreased or changed, since Zn(II) is less able to compete with Cu(II) for the specific binding site on the Aβ peptide under these conditions.

PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors for Immuno-oncology: From Antibodies to Small Molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Qiaohong; Jiao, Peifu; Jin, Peng; Su, Gaoxing; Dong, Jinlong; Yan, Bing

2018-02-12

The recent regulatory approvals of immune checkpoint protein inhibitors, such as ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, nivolumab, atezolizumab, durvalumab, and avelumab ushered a new era in cancer therapy. These inhibitors do not attack tumor cells directly but instead mobilize the immune system to re-recognize and eradicate tumors, which endows them with unique advantages including durable clinical responses and substantial clinical benefits. PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, a pillar of immune checkpoint protein inhibitors, have demonstrated unprecedented clinical efficacy in more than 20 cancer types. Besides monoclonal antibodies, diverse PD- 1/PD-L1 inhibiting candidates, such as peptides, small molecules have formed a powerful collection of weapons to fight cancer. The goal of this review is to summarize and discuss the current PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors including candidates under clinical development, their molecular interactions with PD-1 or PD-L1, the disclosed structureactivity relationships of peptides and small molecules as inhibitors. Current PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors under clinical development are exclusively dominated by antibodies. The molecular interactions of therapeutic antibodies with PD-1 or PD-L1 have been gradually elucidated for the design of novel inhibitors. Various peptides and traditional small molecules have been investigated in preclinical model to discover novel PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Peptides and small molecules may play an important role in immuno-oncology because they may bind to multiple immune checkpoint proteins via rational design, opening opportunity for a new generation of novel PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Design of monodisperse and well-defined polypeptide-based polyvalent inhibitors of anthrax toxin.

Science.gov (United States)

Patke, Sanket; Boggara, Mohan; Maheshwari, Ronak; Srivastava, Sunit K; Arha, Manish; Douaisi, Marc; Martin, Jacob T; Harvey, Ian B; Brier, Matthew; Rosen, Tania; Mogridge, Jeremy; Kane, Ravi S

2014-07-28

The design of polyvalent molecules, presenting multiple copies of a specific ligand, represents a promising strategy to inhibit pathogens and toxins. The ability to control independently the valency and the spacing between ligands would be valuable for elucidating structure-activity relationships and for designing potent polyvalent molecules. To that end, we designed monodisperse polypeptide-based polyvalent inhibitors of anthrax toxin in which multiple copies of an inhibitory toxin-binding peptide were separated by flexible peptide linkers. By tuning the valency and linker length, we designed polyvalent inhibitors that were over four orders of magnitude more potent than the corresponding monovalent ligands. This strategy for the rational design of monodisperse polyvalent molecules may not only be broadly applicable for the inhibition of toxins and pathogens, but also for controlling the nanoscale organization of cellular receptors to regulate signaling and the fate of stem cells. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Impact of epitope specificity and precursor maturation in pro-B-type natriuretic peptide measurement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goetze, J.P.; Dahlstrom, U.; Alehagen, U.

2008-01-01

with different epitope specificities in a cohort of elderly patients presenting with symptoms associated with heart failure (n = 415). RESULTS: Comparison of N-terminal proBNP with proBNP 1-76 measurement in plasma revealed a high correlation on regression analysis (r(2) = 0.91, P ..., the proBNP 1-76 assay measured lower concentrations in the high range than the N-terminal proBNP assay. Correlations between assay measurements in a clinical setting were comparable for all the assays (r(2) approximately 0.57-0.83), and ROC analyses revealed area-under-the-curve values ranging between 0......BACKGROUND: Cardiac-derived natriuretic peptides are sensitive plasma markers of cardiac dysfunction. Recent reports have disclosed a more complex molecular heterogeneity of B-type natriuretic peptide precursor (proBNP)-derived peptides than previously suggested. In this study, we examined...

A library of fluorescent peptides for exploring the substrate specificities of prolyl isomerases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zoldak, G.; Aumuller, T.; Lucke, C.; Hritz, J.; Oostenbrink, C.; Fischer, G.; Schmid, F.X.

2009-01-01

To fully explore the substrate specificities of prolyl isomerases, we synthesized a library of 20 tetrapeptides that are labeled with a 2-aminobenzoyl (Abz) group at the amino terminus and a p-nitroanilide (pNA) group at the carboxy terminus. In this peptide library of the general formula

Novel tetra-peptide insertion in Gag-p6 ALIX-binding motif in HIV-1 subtype C associated with protease inhibitor failure

Science.gov (United States)

Neogi, Ujjwal; RAO, Shwetha D; BONTELL, Irene; VERHEYEN, Jens; RAO, Vasudev R; GORE, Sagar C; SONI, Neelesh; SHET, Anita; SCHÜLTER, Eugen; EKSTRAND, Maria L.; WONDWOSSEN, Amogne; KAISER, Rolf; MADHUSUDHAN, Mallur S.; PRASAD, Vinayaka R; SONNERBORG, Anders

2014-01-01

A novel tetra-peptide insertion was identified in Gag-p6 ALIX-binding region which is appears in protease inhibitor (PI) failure Indian HIV-1C sequences (Odds Ratio 17.1, p<0.001) but naturally present in half of untreated Ethiopian sequences. The insertion will probably restore the ALIX mediated virus release pathway, which is lacking in HIV-1C. The clinical importance of such insertion need to be evaluated in HIV-1C dominating regions were PI-drugs are being scaled up as second line treatment options. PMID:25102091

Laminin peptide YIGSR induces collagen synthesis in Hs27 human dermal fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Jong Hyuk; Kim, Jaeyoon; Lee, Hyeongjoo; Kim, So Young; Jang, Hwan-Hee; Ryu, Sung Ho; Kim, Beom Joon; Lee, Taehoon G.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We identify a function of the YIGSR peptide to enhance collagen synthesis in Hs27. ► YIGSR peptide enhanced collagen type 1 synthesis both of gene and protein levels. ► There were no changes in cell proliferation and MMP-1 level in YIGSR treatment. ► The YIGSR effect on collagen synthesis mediated activation of FAK, pyk2 and ERK. ► The YIGSR-induced FAK and ERK activation was modulated by FAK and MEK inhibitors. -- Abstract: The dermal ECM is synthesized from fibroblasts and is primarily compromised of fibrillar collagen and elastic fibers, which support the mechanical strength and resiliency of skin, respectively. Laminin, a major glycoprotein located in the basement membrane, promotes cell adhesion, cell growth, differentiation, and migration. The laminin tyrosine-isoleucine-glycine-serine-arginine (YIGSR) peptide, corresponding to the 929–933 sequence of the β1 chain, is known to be a functional motif with effects on the inhibition of tumor metastasis, the regulation of sensory axonal response and the inhibition of angiogenesis through high affinity to the 67 kDa laminin receptor. In this study, we identified a novel function of the YIGSR peptide to enhance collagen synthesis in human dermal fibroblasts. To elucidate this novel function regarding collagen synthesis, we treated human dermal fibroblasts with YIGSR peptide in both a time- and dose-dependent manner. According to subsequent experiments, we found that the YIGSR peptide strongly enhanced collagen type 1 synthesis without changing cell proliferation or cellular MMP-1 level. This YIGSR peptide-mediated collagen type 1 synthesis was modulated by FAK inhibitor and MEK inhibitor. This study clearly reveals that YIGSR peptide plays a novel function on the collagen type 1 synthesis of dermal fibroblasts and also suggests that YIGSR is a strong candidate peptide for the treatment of skin aging and wrinkles.

High throughput in vivo protease inhibitor selection platform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2017-01-01

The invention relates to a recombinant microbial cell comprising a selection platform for screening for a protease inhibitor, wherein the platform comprises transgenes encoding a protease having selective peptide bond cleavage activity at a recognition site amino acid sequence; and transgenes...... platform for screening for a protease inhibitor....

Conformational determinants of phosphotyrosine peptides complexed with the Src SH2 domain.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph Nachman

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The inhibition of specific SH2 domain mediated protein-protein interactions as an effective chemotherapeutic approach in the treatment of diseases remains a challenge. That different conformations of peptide-ligands are preferred by different SH2 domains is an underappreciated observation from the structural analysis of phosphotyrosine peptide binding to SH2 domains that may aid in future drug design. To explore the nature of ligand binding, we use simulated annealing (SA to sample the conformational space of phosphotyrosine-containing peptides complexed with the Src SH2 domain. While in good agreement with the crystallographic and NMR studies of high-affinity phosphopeptide-SH2 domain complexes, the results suggest that the structural basis for phopsphopeptide- Src SH2 interactions is more complex than the "two-pronged plug two-hole socket" model. A systematic study of peptides of type pYEEX, where pY is phosphotyrosine and X is a hydrophobic residue, indicates that these peptides can assume two conformations, one extended and one helical, representing the balance between the interaction of residue X with the hydrophobic hole on the surface of the Src SH2 domain, and its contribution to the inherent tendency of the two glutamic acids to form an alpha-helix. In contrast, a beta-turn conformation, almost identical to that observed in the crystal structure of pYVNV bound to the Grb2 SH2 domain, predominates for pYXNX peptides, even in the presence of isoleucine at the third position. While peptide binding affinities, as measured by fluorescence polarization, correlate with the relative proportion of extended peptide conformation, these results suggest a model where all three residues C-terminal to the phosphotyrosine determine the conformation of the bound phosphopeptide. The information obtained in this work can be used in the design of specific SH2 domain inhibitors.

A novel endogenous inhibitor of phenoloxidase from Musca domestica has a cystine motif commonly found in snail and spider toxins.

Science.gov (United States)

Daquinag, A C; Sato, T; Koda, H; Takao, T; Fukuda, M; Shimonishi, Y; Tsukamoto, T

1999-02-16

Phenoloxidase inhibitor (POI), found in the hemolymph of housefly pupae, is a novel dopa-containing and cystine-rich peptide that competitively inhibits phenoloxidase with a Ki in the nanomolar range. [Tyr32]POI is a potential precursor molecule also found in the hemolymph that may be posttranslationally oxidized to the dopa-containing peptide after creation of a rigid structure. By employing both a solid-phase peptide synthesis system based on a 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl strategy and a specific air oxidation technique to ensure correct folding, we have been able to synthesize [Tyr32]POI. The synthetic [Tyr32]POI was confirmed to be identical to the native [Tyr32]POI by coelution high-performance liquid chromatography analysis and by enzymatic analysis using the phenoloxidase inhibition assay. To determine the disulfide pairings within the peptides, a series of enzyme hydrolyses and partial reduction/alkylation steps were performed. Three cystine pairs (Cys11-Cys25, Cys18-Cys29, and Cys24-Cys36) were determined by identification of the resulting peptides. The disulfide pairings of the two adjacent Cys residues (Cys11-Cys25 and Cys24-Cys36) were unambiguously assigned by comparing the derived fragments with the two possible isomers synthesized through a novel disulfide-linking technique. The arrangement of the disulfide bridges in POI was found to be topologically identical to those found for several peptides within the inhibitor cystine knot structural family. Although these peptides share a low primary sequence homology and display a diversity of biological functions, they nonetheless share similarities in their cystine motifs and tertiary structure. The tertiary structure model of POI, which was derived through molecular dynamics and energy minimization studies using restraints with determined disulfide connectivities, suggests that POI is a new class member of the inhibitor cystine-knot structural family.

Transmembrane transport of peptide type compounds: prospects for oral delivery

Science.gov (United States)

Lipka, E.; Crison, J.; Amidon, G. L.

1996-01-01

Synthesis and delivery of potential therapeutic peptides and peptidomimetic compounds has been the focus of intense research over the last 10 years. While it is widely recognized that numerous limitations apply to oral delivery of peptides, some of the limiting factors have been addressed and their mechanisms elucidated, which has lead to promising strategies. This article will briefly summarize the challenges, results and current approaches of oral peptide delivery and give some insight on future strategies. The barriers determining peptide bioavailability after oral administration are intestinal membrane permability, size limitations, intestinal and hepatic metabolism and in some cases solubility limitations. Poor membrane permeabilities of hydrophilic peptides might be overcome by structurally modifying the compounds, thus increasing their membrane partition characteristics and/or their affinity to carrier proteins. Another approach is the site-specific delivery of the peptide to the most permeable parts of the intestine. The current view on size limitation for oral drug delivery has neglected partition considerations. Recent studies suggest that compounds with a molecular weight up to 4000 might be significantly absorbed, assuming appropriate partition behavior and stability. Metabolism, probably the most significant factor in the absorption fate of peptides, might be controlled by coadministration of competitive enzyme inhibitors, structural modifications and administration of the compound as a well absorbed prodrug that is converted into the therapeutically active agent after its absorption. For some peptides poor solubility might present a limitation to oral absorption, an issue that has been addressed by mechanistically defining and therefore improving formulation parameters. Effective oral peptide delivery requires further development in understanding these complex mechanisms in order to maximize the therapeutic potential of this class of compounds.

Rational Design of a Highly Potent and Selective Peptide Inhibitor of PACE4 by Salt Bridge Interaction with D160 at Position P3.

Science.gov (United States)

Dianati, Vahid; Shamloo, Azar; Kwiatkowska, Anna; Desjardins, Roxane; Soldera, Armand; Day, Robert; Dory, Yves L

2017-08-08

PACE4, a member of the proprotein convertases (PCs) family of serine proteases, is a validated target for prostate cancer. Our group has developed a potent and selective PACE4 inhibitor: Ac-LLLLRVKR-NH 2 . In seeking for modifications to increase the selectivity of this ligand toward PACE4, we replaced one of its P3 Val methyl groups with a basic group capable of forming a salt bridge with D160 of PACE4. The resulting inhibitor is eight times more potent than the P3 Val parent inhibitor and two times more selective over furin, because the equivalent salt bridge with furin E257 is not optimal. Moreover, the β-branched nature of the new P3 residue favors the extended β-sheet conformation usually associated with substrates of proteases. This work provides new insight for better understanding of β-sheet backbone-backbone interactions between serine proteases and their peptidic ligands. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Using a Virus Type-Specific Peptide Based on a Subdomain of Envelope Protein Erns for Serologic Diagnosis of Pestivirus Infections in Swine

Science.gov (United States)

Langedijk, J. P. M.; Middel, W. G. J.; Meloen, R. H.; Kramps, J. A.; de Smit, J. A.

2001-01-01

Peptides deduced from the C-terminal end (residues 191 to 227) of pestivirus envelope protein Erns were used to develop enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) to measure specifically antibodies against different types of pestiviruses. The choice of the peptide was based on the modular structure of the Erns protein, and the peptide was selected for its probable independent folding and good exposure, which would make it a good candidate for an antigenic peptide to be used in a diagnostic test. A solid-phase peptide ELISA which was cross-reactive for several types of pestivirus antibodies and which can be used for the general detection of pestivirus antibodies was developed. To identify type-specific pestivirus antibodies, a liquid-phase peptide ELISA, with a labeled, specific classical swine fever virus (CSFV) peptide and an unlabeled bovine viral diarrhea virus peptide to block cross-reactivity, was developed. Specificity and sensitivity of the liquid-phase peptide ELISA for CSFV were 98 and 100%, respectively. Because the peptide is a fragment of the Erns protein, it can be used to differentiate between infected and vaccinated animals when a vaccine based on the E2 protein, which is another pestivirus envelope protein, is used. PMID:11230402

Potential Therapeutic Applications of Mucuna pruriens Peptide Fractions Purified by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography as Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, Antioxidants, Antithrombotic and Hypocholesterolemic Agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera-Chalé, Francisco; Ruiz-Ruiz, Jorge Carlos; Betancur-Ancona, David; Segura-Campos, Maira Rubi

2016-02-01

A Mucuna pruriens protein concentrate was hydrolyzed with a digestive (pepsin-pancreatin) enzymatic system. The soluble portion of the hydrolysate was fractionated by ultrafiltration and the ultrafiltered peptide fraction (PF) with lower molecular weight was purified by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The PF obtained were evaluated by testing the biological activity in vitro. Fractions showed that the ability to inhibit the angiotensin-converting enzyme had IC50 values that ranged from 2.7 to 6.2 μg/mL. Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity values ranged from 132.20 to 507.43 mM/mg. The inhibition of human platelet aggregation ranged from 1.59% to 11.11%, and the inhibition of cholesterol micellar solubility ranged from 0.24% to 0.47%. Hydrophobicity, size, and amino acid sequence could be factors in determining the biological activity of peptides contained in fractions. This is the first report that M. pruriens peptides act as antihypertensives, antioxidants, and inhibitors for human platelet aggregation and cholesterol micellar solubility in vitro.

Predicting DPP-IV inhibitors with machine learning approaches

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Cai, Jie; Li, Chanjuan; Liu, Zhihong; Du, Jiewen; Ye, Jiming; Gu, Qiong; Xu, Jun

2017-04-01

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) is a promising Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) drug target. DPP-IV inhibitors prolong the action of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP), improve glucose homeostasis without weight gain, edema, and hypoglycemia. However, the marketed DPP-IV inhibitors have adverse effects such as nasopharyngitis, headache, nausea, hypersensitivity, skin reactions and pancreatitis. Therefore, it is still expected for novel DPP-IV inhibitors with minimal adverse effects. The scaffolds of existing DPP-IV inhibitors are structurally diversified. This makes it difficult to build virtual screening models based upon the known DPP-IV inhibitor libraries using conventional QSAR approaches. In this paper, we report a new strategy to predict DPP-IV inhibitors with machine learning approaches involving naïve Bayesian (NB) and recursive partitioning (RP) methods. We built 247 machine learning models based on 1307 known DPP-IV inhibitors with optimized molecular properties and topological fingerprints as descriptors. The overall predictive accuracies of the optimized models were greater than 80%. An external test set, composed of 65 recently reported compounds, was employed to validate the optimized models. The results demonstrated that both NB and RP models have a good predictive ability based on different combinations of descriptors. Twenty "good" and twenty "bad" structural fragments for DPP-IV inhibitors can also be derived from these models for inspiring the new DPP-IV inhibitor scaffold design.

Selection of specific inhibitor peptides in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of cardiac troponin I using immuno-dominant epitopes as competitor.

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Rezaee, Majid Asiabanha; Rasaee, Mohammad Javad; Mohammadnejad, Javad

2017-01-01

Human cardiac troponin I (cTni) is the gold marker for early diagnosis of myocardial infarction. In this regard, four immune-dominant epitopes of cTni were predicted and their 3D structures were determined. Thereafter, the competitive performance of the peptides was monitored with the developed polyclonal antibody-based indirect competitive ELISA; a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.49 (µg/mL) and detection limit of 0.037 (µg/mL) were achieved for recombinant cTni. The competitive ELISA determined sensitivity levels of 0.306, 0.141, 0.960, and 0.155 (µg/mL), respectively, for each peptide as competitor. We indicated that two of the selected epitopes have significant sensitivity scales and inhibition ability.

A novel synthetic peptide microarray assay detects Chlamydia species-specific antibodies in animal and human sera.

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Sachse, Konrad; Rahman, Kh Shamsur; Schnee, Christiane; Müller, Elke; Peisker, Madlen; Schumacher, Thomas; Schubert, Evelyn; Ruettger, Anke; Kaltenboeck, Bernhard; Ehricht, Ralf

2018-03-16

Serological analysis of Chlamydia (C.) spp. infections is still mainly based on micro-immunofluorescence and ELISA. To overcome the limitations of conventional serology, we have designed a novel microarray carrying 52 synthetic peptides representing B-cell epitopes from immunodominant proteins of all 11 chlamydial species. The new assay has been validated using monospecific mouse hyperimmune sera. Subsequently, serum samples from cattle, sheep and humans with a known history of chlamydial infection were examined. For instance, the specific humoral response of sheep to treatment with a C. abortus vaccine has been visualized against a background of C. pecorum carriership. In samples from humans, dual infection with C. trachomatis and C. pneumoniae could be demonstrated. The experiments revealed that the peptide microarray assay was capable of simultaneously identifying specific antibodies to each Chlamydia spp. The actual assay represents an open platform test that can be complemented through future advances in Chlamydia proteome research. The concept of the highly parallel multi-antigen microarray proven in this study has the potential to enhance our understanding of antibody responses by defining not only a single quantitative response, but also the pattern of this response. The added value of using peptide antigens will consist in unprecedented serodiagnostic specificity.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 is specifically involved in sweet taste transmission.

Science.gov (United States)

Takai, Shingo; Yasumatsu, Keiko; Inoue, Mayuko; Iwata, Shusuke; Yoshida, Ryusuke; Shigemura, Noriatsu; Yanagawa, Yuchio; Drucker, Daniel J; Margolskee, Robert F; Ninomiya, Yuzo

2015-06-01

Five fundamental taste qualities (sweet, bitter, salty, sour, umami) are sensed by dedicated taste cells (TCs) that relay quality information to gustatory nerve fibers. In peripheral taste signaling pathways, ATP has been identified as a functional neurotransmitter, but it remains to be determined how specificity of different taste qualities is maintained across synapses. Recent studies demonstrated that some gut peptides are released from taste buds by prolonged application of particular taste stimuli, suggesting their potential involvement in taste information coding. In this study, we focused on the function of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in initial responses to taste stimulation. GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) null mice had reduced neural and behavioral responses specifically to sweet compounds compared to wild-type (WT) mice. Some sweet responsive TCs expressed GLP-1 and its receptors were expressed in gustatory neurons. GLP-1 was released immediately from taste bud cells in response to sweet compounds but not to other taste stimuli. Intravenous administration of GLP-1 elicited transient responses in a subset of sweet-sensitive gustatory nerve fibers but did not affect other types of fibers, and this response was suppressed by pre-administration of the GLP-1R antagonist Exendin-4(3-39). Thus GLP-1 may be involved in normal sweet taste signal transmission in mice. © FASEB.

Hemoglobin cleavage site-specificity of the Plasmodium falciparum cysteine proteases falcipain-2 and falcipain-3.

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Shoba Subramanian

Full Text Available The Plasmodium falciparum cysteine proteases falcipain-2 and falcipain-3 degrade host hemoglobin to provide free amino acids for parasite protein synthesis. Hemoglobin hydrolysis has been described as an ordered process initiated by aspartic proteases, but cysteine protease inhibitors completely block the process, suggesting that cysteine proteases can also initiate hemoglobin hydrolysis. To characterize the specific roles of falcipains, we used three approaches. First, using random P(1 - P(4 amino acid substrate libraries, falcipain-2 and falcipain-3 demonstrated strong preference for cleavage sites with Leu at the P(2 position. Second, with overlapping peptides spanning alpha and beta globin and proteolysis-dependent (18O labeling, hydrolysis was seen at many cleavage sites. Third, with intact hemoglobin, numerous cleavage products were identified. Our results suggest that hemoglobin hydrolysis by malaria parasites is not a highly ordered process, but rather proceeds with rapid cleavage by falcipains at multiple sites. However, falcipain-2 and falcipain-3 show strong specificity for P(2 Leu in small peptide substrates, in agreement with the specificity in optimized small molecule inhibitors that was identified previously. These results are consistent with a principal role of falcipain-2 and falcipain-3 in the hydrolysis of hemoglobin by P. falciparum and with the possibility of developing small molecule inhibitors with optimized specificity as antimalarial agents.

A specific pharmacophore model of sodium-dependent glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors.

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Tang, Chunlei; Zhu, Xiaoyun; Huang, Dandan; Zan, Xin; Yang, Baowei; Li, Ying; Du, Xiaoyong; Qian, Hai; Huang, Wenlong

2012-06-01

Sodium-dependent glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) plays a pivotal role in maintaining glucose equilibrium in the human body, emerging as one of the most promising targets for the treatment of diabetes mellitus type 2. Pharmacophore models of SGLT2 inhibitors have been generated with a training set of 25 SGLT2 inhibitors using Discovery Studio V2.1. The best hypothesis (Hypo1(SGLT2)) contains one hydrogen bond donor, five excluded volumes, one ring aromatic and three hydrophobic features, and has a correlation coefficient of 0.955, cost difference of 68.76, RMSD of 0.85. This model was validated by test set, Fischer randomization test and decoy set methods. The specificity of Hypo1(SGLT2) was evaluated. The pharmacophore features of Hypo1(SGLT2) were different from the best pharmacophore model (Hypo1(SGLT1)) of SGLT1 inhibitors we developed. Moreover, Hypo1(SGLT2) could effectively distinguish selective inhibitors of SGLT2 from those of SGLT1. These results indicate that a highly predictive and specific pharmacophore model of SGLT2 inhibitors has been successfully obtained. Then Hypo1(SGLT2) was used as a 3D query to screen databases including NCI and Maybridge for identifying new inhibitors of SGLT2. The hit compounds were subsequently subjected to filtering by Lipinski's rule of five. And several compounds selected from the top ranked hits have been suggested for further experimental assay studies.

Peptides as Therapeutic Agents for Dengue Virus.

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Chew, Miaw-Fang; Poh, Keat-Seong; Poh, Chit-Laa

2017-01-01

Dengue is an important global threat caused by dengue virus (DENV) that records an estimated 390 million infections annually. Despite the availability of CYD-TDV as a commercial vaccine, its long-term efficacy against all four dengue virus serotypes remains unsatisfactory. There is therefore an urgent need for the development of antiviral drugs for the treatment of dengue. Peptide was once a neglected choice of medical treatment but it has lately regained interest from the pharmaceutical industry following pioneering advancements in technology. In this review, the design of peptide drugs, antiviral activities and mechanisms of peptides and peptidomimetics (modified peptides) action against dengue virus are discussed. The development of peptides as inhibitors for viral entry, replication and translation is also described, with a focus on the three main targets, namely, the host cell receptors, viral structural proteins and viral non-structural proteins. The antiviral peptides designed based on these approaches may lead to the discovery of novel anti-DENV therapeutics that can treat dengue patients.

A screen for kinase inhibitors identifies antimicrobial imidazopyridine aminofurazans as specific inhibitors of the Listeria monocytogenes PASTA kinase PrkA.

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Schaenzer, Adam J; Wlodarchak, Nathan; Drewry, David H; Zuercher, William J; Rose, Warren E; Striker, Rob; Sauer, John-Demian

2017-10-13

Bacterial signaling systems such as protein kinases and quorum sensing have become increasingly attractive targets for the development of novel antimicrobial agents in a time of rising antibiotic resistance. The family of bacterial P enicillin-binding-protein A nd S erine/ T hreonine kinase- A ssociated (PASTA) kinases is of particular interest due to the role of these kinases in regulating resistance to β-lactam antibiotics. As such, small-molecule kinase inhibitors that target PASTA kinases may prove beneficial as treatments adjunctive to β-lactam therapy. Despite this interest, only limited progress has been made in identifying functional inhibitors of the PASTA kinases that have both activity against the intact microbe and high kinase specificity. Here, we report the results of a small-molecule screen that identified GSK690693, an imidazopyridine aminofurazan-type kinase inhibitor that increases the sensitivity of the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes to various β-lactams by inhibiting the PASTA kinase PrkA. GSK690693 potently inhibited PrkA kinase activity biochemically and exhibited significant selectivity for PrkA relative to the Staphylococcus aureus PASTA kinase Stk1. Furthermore, other imidazopyridine aminofurazans could effectively inhibit PrkA and potentiate β-lactam antibiotic activity to varying degrees. The presence of the 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol (alkynol) moiety was important for both biochemical and antimicrobial activity. Finally, mutagenesis studies demonstrated residues in the back pocket of the active site are important for GSK690693 selectivity. These data suggest that targeted screens can successfully identify PASTA kinase inhibitors with both biochemical and antimicrobial specificity. Moreover, the imidazopyridine aminofurazans represent a family of PASTA kinase inhibitors that have the potential to be optimized for selective PASTA kinase inhibition.

Describing the Peptide Binding Specificity of HLA-C

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Michael; Harndahl, Mikkel Nors; Nielsen, Morten

for 5 HLA-C molecules and for all, but one, molecule we find a high frequency of binders, >70%, among these peptides. To extend the examined peptide space, we use bioinformatic prediction tools to search for additional binders. Finally, we update our prediction tool, NetMHCpan, with the HLA-C affinity......Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) presents peptides to T-cells for immune scrutiny. Whereas HLA-A and -B have been described in great detail, HLA-C has received much less attention. Here, to increase the coverage of HLA-C and the accuracy of the corresponding tools, we have generated HLA-C molecules...... data and show that the predictive performance for HLA-C molecules now is increased to a level comparable withthat of HLA-A and -B. These novel HLA-C molecules and predictors are successfully used to generate HLA-C tetramers and validate HLA-C-restricted T cell responses....

Lactoferrin-derived Peptides Active towards Influenza: Identification of Three Potent Tetrapeptide Inhibitors.

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Scala, Maria Carmina; Sala, Marina; Pietrantoni, Agostina; Spensiero, Antonia; Di Micco, Simone; Agamennone, Mariangela; Bertamino, Alessia; Novellino, Ettore; Bifulco, Giuseppe; Gomez-Monterrey, Isabel M; Superti, Fabiana; Campiglia, Pietro

2017-09-06

Bovine lactoferrin is a biglobular multifunctional iron binding glycoprotein that plays an important role in innate immunity against infections. We have previously demonstrated that selected peptides from bovine lactoferrin C-lobe are able to prevent both Influenza virus hemagglutination and cell infection. To deeper investigate the ability of lactoferrin derived peptides to inhibit Influenza virus infection, in this study we identified new bovine lactoferrin C-lobe derived sequences and corresponding synthetic peptides were synthesized and assayed to check their ability to prevent viral hemagglutination and infection. We identified three tetrapeptides endowed with broad anti-Influenza activity and able to inhibit viral infection in a concentration range femto- to picomolar. Our data indicate that these peptides may constitute a non-toxic tool for potential applications as anti-Influenza therapeutics.

Isoform-specific inhibition of cyclophilins.

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Daum, Sebastian; Schumann, Michael; Mathea, Sebastian; Aumüller, Tobias; Balsley, Molly A; Constant, Stephanie L; de Lacroix, Boris Féaux; Kruska, Fabian; Braun, Manfred; Schiene-Fischer, Cordelia

2009-07-07

Cyclophilins belong to the enzyme class of peptidyl prolyl cis-trans isomerases which catalyze the cis-trans isomerization of prolyl bonds in peptides and proteins in different folding states. Cyclophilins have been shown to be involved in a multitude of cellular functions like cell growth, proliferation, and motility. Among the 20 human cyclophilin isoenzymes, the two most abundant members of the cyclophilin family, CypA and CypB, exhibit specific cellular functions in several inflammatory diseases, cancer development, and HCV replication. A small-molecule inhibitor on the basis of aryl 1-indanylketones has now been shown to discriminate between CypA and CypB in vitro. CypA binding of this inhibitor has been characterized by fluorescence anisotropy- and isothermal titration calorimetry-based cyclosporin competition assays. Inhibition of CypA- but not CypB-mediated chemotaxis of mouse CD4(+) T cells by the inhibitor provided biological proof of discrimination in vivo.

The simultaneous ex vivo detection of low-frequency antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses using overlapping peptide pools.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Satwinder Kaur; Meyering, Maaike; Ramwadhdoebe, Tamara H; Stynenbosch, Linda F M; Redeker, Anke; Kuppen, Peter J K; Melief, Cornelis J M; Welters, Marij J P; van der Burg, Sjoerd H

2012-11-01

The ability to measure antigen-specific T cells at the single-cell level by intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) is a promising immunomonitoring tool and is extensively applied in the evaluation of immunotherapy of cancer. The protocols used to detect antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell responses generally work for the detection of antigen-specific T cells in samples that have undergone at least one round of in vitro pre-stimulation. Application of a common protocol but now using long peptides as antigens was not suitable to simultaneously detect antigen-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cells directly ex vivo in cryopreserved samples. CD8 T-cell reactivity to monocytes pulsed with long peptides as antigens ranged between 5 and 25 % of that observed against monocytes pulsed with a direct HLA class I fitting minimal CTL peptide epitope. Therefore, we adapted our ICS protocol and show that the use of tenfold higher concentration of long peptides to load APC, the use of IFN-α and poly(I:C) to promote antigen processing and improve T-cell stimulation, does allow for the ex vivo detection of low-frequency antigen-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cells in an HLA-independent setting. While most of the improvements were related to increasing the ability to measure CD8+ T-cell reactivity following stimulation with long peptides to at least 50 % of the response detected when using a minimal peptide epitope, the final analysis of blood samples from vaccinated patients successfully showed that the adapted ICS protocol also increases the ability to ex vivo detect low-frequency p53-specific CD4+ T-cell responses in cryopreserved PBMC samples.

Virtual screening using combinatorial cyclic peptide libraries reveals protein interfaces readily targetable by cyclic peptides.

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Duffy, Fergal J; O'Donovan, Darragh; Devocelle, Marc; Moran, Niamh; O'Connell, David J; Shields, Denis C

2015-03-23

Protein-protein and protein-peptide interactions are responsible for the vast majority of biological functions in vivo, but targeting these interactions with small molecules has historically been difficult. What is required are efficient combined computational and experimental screening methods to choose among a number of potential protein interfaces worthy of targeting lead macrocyclic compounds for further investigation. To achieve this, we have generated combinatorial 3D virtual libraries of short disulfide-bonded peptides and compared them to pharmacophore models of important protein-protein and protein-peptide structures, including short linear motifs (SLiMs), protein-binding peptides, and turn structures at protein-protein interfaces, built from 3D models available in the Protein Data Bank. We prepared a total of 372 reference pharmacophores, which were matched against 108,659 multiconformer cyclic peptides. After normalization to exclude nonspecific cyclic peptides, the top hits notably are enriched for mimetics of turn structures, including a turn at the interaction surface of human α thrombin, and also feature several protein-binding peptides. The top cyclic peptide hits also cover the critical "hot spot" interaction sites predicted from the interaction crystal structure. We have validated our method by testing cyclic peptides predicted to inhibit thrombin, a key protein in the blood coagulation pathway of important therapeutic interest, identifying a cyclic peptide inhibitor with lead-like activity. We conclude that protein interfaces most readily targetable by cyclic peptides and related macrocyclic drugs may be identified computationally among a set of candidate interfaces, accelerating the choice of interfaces against which lead compounds may be screened.

Dendritic cells pulsed with a tumor-specific peptide induce long-lasting immunity and are effective against murine intracerebral melanoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Heimberger, Amy B; Archer, Gary E; Crotty, Laura E; McLendon, Roger E; Friedman, Allan H; Friedman, Henry S; Bigner, Darell D; Sampson, John H

2002-01-01

Dendritic cells (DCs) are specialized cells of the immune system that are capable of generating potent immune responses that are active even within the "immunologically privileged" central nervous system. However, immune responses generated by DCs have also been demonstrated to produce clinically significant autoimmunity. Targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII), which is a mutation specific to tumor tissue, could eliminate this risk. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that DC-based immunizations directed solely against this tumor-specific antigen, which is commonly found on tumors that originate within or metastasize to the brain, could be efficacious. C3H mice were vaccinated with DCs mixed with a keyhole limpet hemocyanin conjugate of the tumor-specific peptide, PEP-3, which spans the EGFRvIII mutation, or the random-sequence peptide, PEP-1, and were intracerebrally challenged with a syngeneic melanoma expressing a murine homologue of EGFRvIII. Systemic immunization with DCs mixed with PEP-3-keyhole limpet hemocyanin generated antigen-specific immunity. Among mice challenged with intracerebral tumors, this resulted in an approximately 600% increase in the median survival time (>300 d, P < 0.0016), relative to control values. Sixty-three percent of mice treated with DCs mixed with the tumor-specific peptide survived in the long term and 100% survived rechallenge with tumor, indicating that antitumor immunological memory was also induced. In a murine melanoma model, immunization with DCs mixed with tumor-specific peptide results in an antigen-specific immunological response that recognizes the EGFRvIII mutation, has potent antitumor efficacy against intracerebral tumors that express EGFRvIII, and results in long-lasting antitumor immunity.

Effect of Synthetic Truncated Apolipoprotein C-I Peptide on Plasma Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Nonhuman Primates

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Rampratap S. Kushwaha

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The present studies were conducted to determine whether a synthetic truncated apoC-I peptide that inhibits CETP activity in baboons would raise plasma HDL cholesterol levels in nonhuman primates with low HDL levels. We used 2 cynomolgus monkeys and 3 baboons fed a cholesterol- and fat-enriched diet. In cynomolgus monkeys, we injected synthetic truncated apoC-I inhibitor peptide at a dose of 20 mg/kg and, in baboons, at doses of 10, 15, and 20 mg/kg at weekly intervals. Blood samples were collected 3 times a week and VLDL + LDL and HDL cholesterol concentrations were measured. In cynomolgus monkeys, administration of the inhibitor peptide caused a rapid decrease in VLDL + LDL cholesterol concentrations (30%–60% and an increase in HDL cholesterol concentrations (10%–20%. VLDL + LDL cholesterol concentrations returned to baseline levels in approximately 15 days. In baboons, administration of the synthetic inhibitor peptide caused a decrease in VLDL + LDL cholesterol (20%–60% and an increase in HDL cholesterol (10%–20%. VLDL + LDL cholesterol returned to baseline levels by day 21, whereas HDL cholesterol concentrations remained elevated for up to 26 days. ApoA-I concentrations increased, whereas apoE and triglyceride concentrations decreased. Subcutaneous and intravenous administrations of the inhibitor peptide had similar effects on LDL and HDL cholesterol concentrations. There was no change in body weight, food consumption, or plasma IgG levels of any baboon during the study. These studies suggest that the truncated apoC-I peptide can be used to raise HDL in humans.

PLGA nanoparticles modified with a BBB-penetrating peptide co-delivering Aβ generation inhibitor and curcumin attenuate memory deficits and neuropathology in Alzheimer's disease mice.

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Huang, Na; Lu, Shuai; Liu, Xiao-Ge; Zhu, Jie; Wang, Yu-Jiong; Liu, Rui-Tian

2017-10-06

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, characterized by the formation of extracellular senile plaques and neuronal loss caused by amyloid β (Aβ) aggregates in the brains of AD patients. Conventional strategies failed to treat AD in clinical trials, partly due to the poor solubility, low bioavailability and ineffectiveness of the tested drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Moreover, AD is a complex, multifactorial neurodegenerative disease; one-target strategies may be insufficient to prevent the processes of AD. Here, we designed novel kind of poly(lactide-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles by loading with Aβ generation inhibitor S1 (PQVGHL peptide) and curcumin to target the detrimental factors in AD development and by conjugating with brain targeting peptide CRT (cyclic CRTIGPSVC peptide), an iron-mimic peptide that targets transferrin receptor (TfR), to improve BBB penetration. The average particle size of drug-loaded PLGA nanoparticles and CRT-conjugated PLGA nanoparticles were 128.6 nm and 139.8 nm, respectively. The results of Y-maze and new object recognition test demonstrated that our PLGA nanoparticles significantly improved the spatial memory and recognition in transgenic AD mice. Moreover, PLGA nanoparticles remarkably decreased the level of Aβ, reactive oxygen species (ROS), TNF-α and IL-6, and enhanced the activities of super oxide dismutase (SOD) and synapse numbers in the AD mouse brains. Compared with other PLGA nanoparticles, CRT peptide modified-PLGA nanoparticles co-delivering S1 and curcumin exhibited most beneficial effect on the treatment of AD mice, suggesting that conjugated CRT peptide, and encapsulated S1 and curcumin exerted their corresponding functions for the treatment.

Novel phospholipase A2 inhibitors from python serum are potent peptide antibiotics.

Science.gov (United States)

Samy, Ramar Perumal; Thwin, Maung Maung; Stiles, Brad G; Satyanarayana-Jois, Seetharama; Chinnathambi, Arunachalam; Zayed, M E; Alharbi, Sulaiman Ali; Siveen, Kodappully Sivaraman; Sikka, Sakshi; Kumar, Alan Prem; Sethi, Gautam; Lim, Lina Hsiu Kim

2015-04-01

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play a vital role in defense against resistant bacteria. In this study, eight different AMPs synthesized from Python reticulatus serum protein were tested for bactericidal activity against various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Burkholderia pseudomallei (KHW and TES strains), and Proteus vulgaris) using a disc-diffusion method (20 μg/disc). Among the tested peptides, phospholipase A2 inhibitory peptide (PIP)-18[59-76], β-Asp65-PIP[59-67], D-Ala66-PNT.II, and D60,65E-PIP[59-67] displayed the most potent bactericidal activity against all tested pathogens in a dose-dependent manner (100-6.8 μg/ml), with a remarkable activity noted against S. aureus at 6.8 μg/ml dose within 6 h of incubation. Determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) by a micro-broth dilution method at 100-3.125 μg/ml revealed that PIP-18[59-76], β-Asp65-PIP[59-67] and D-Ala66-PNT.II peptides exerted a potent inhibitory effect against S. aureus and B. pseudomallei (KHW) (MICs 3.125 μg/ml), while a much less inhibitory potency (MICs 12.5 μg/ml) was noted for β-Asp65-PIP[59-67] and D-Ala66-PNT.II peptides against B. pseudomallei (TES). Higher doses of peptides had no effect on the other two strains (i.e., Klebsiella pneumoniae and Streptococcus pneumoniae). Overall, PIP-18[59-76] possessed higher antimicrobial activity than that of chloramphenicol (CHL), ceftazidime (CF) and streptomycin (ST) (30 μg/disc). When the two most active peptides, PIP-18[59-76] and β-Asp65-PIP[59-67], were applied topically at a 150 mg/kg dose for testing wound healing activity in a mouse model of S. aureus infection, the former accelerates faster wound healing than the latter peptide at 14 days post-treatment. The western blot data suggest that the topical application of peptides (PIP-18[59-67] and β-Asp65-PIP[59-67]) modulates NF-kB mediated wound repair in mice with relatively little haemolytic (100-1.56 μg/ml) and cytotoxic (1000

'Multi-epitope-targeted' immune-specific therapy for a multiple sclerosis-like disease via engineered multi-epitope protein is superior to peptides.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nathali Kaushansky

Full Text Available Antigen-induced peripheral tolerance is potentially one of the most efficient and specific therapeutic approaches for autoimmune diseases. Although highly effective in animal models, antigen-based strategies have not yet been translated into practicable human therapy, and several clinical trials using a single antigen or peptidic-epitope in multiple sclerosis (MS yielded disappointing results. In these clinical trials, however, the apparent complexity and dynamics of the pathogenic autoimmunity associated with MS, which result from the multiplicity of potential target antigens and "epitope spread", have not been sufficiently considered. Thus, targeting pathogenic T-cells reactive against a single antigen/epitope is unlikely to be sufficient; to be effective, immunospecific therapy to MS should logically neutralize concomitantly T-cells reactive against as many major target antigens/epitopes as possible. We investigated such "multi-epitope-targeting" approach in murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE associated with a single ("classical" or multiple ("complex" anti-myelin autoreactivities, using cocktail of different encephalitogenic peptides vis-a-vis artificial multi-epitope-protein (designated Y-MSPc encompassing rationally selected MS-relevant epitopes of five major myelin antigens, as "multi-epitope-targeting" agents. Y-MSPc was superior to peptide(s in concomitantly downregulating pathogenic T-cells reactive against multiple myelin antigens/epitopes, via inducing more effective, longer lasting peripheral regulatory mechanisms (cytokine shift, anergy, and Foxp3+ CTLA4+ regulatory T-cells. Y-MSPc was also consistently more effective than the disease-inducing single peptide or peptide cocktail, not only in suppressing the development of "classical" or "complex EAE" or ameliorating ongoing disease, but most importantly, in reversing chronic EAE. Overall, our data emphasize that a "multi-epitope-targeting" strategy is required for

Characterization of reaction conditions providing rapid and specific cysteine alkylation for peptide-based mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Paulech, Jana; Solis, Nestor; Cordwell, Stuart J

2013-01-01

Alkylation converts Cys thiols to thioethers and prevents unwanted side reactions, thus facilitating mass spectrometric identification of Cys-containing peptides. Alkylation occurs preferentially at Cys due to its high nucleophilicity, however reactions at other such sites are possible. N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) shows rapid reaction kinetics with Cys and careful definition of reaction conditions results in little reactivity at other sites. Analysis of a protein standard alkylated under differing reaction conditions (pH, NEM concentrations and reaction times) was performed using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and selected reaction monitoring (SRM) of NEM-modified and unmodified peptide pairs. Mis-alkylation sites at primary and secondary amines were identified and limited to one equivalent of NEM. No evidence for hydroxyl or thioether alkylation was observed. Improved specificity was achieved by restricting the pH below neutral, NEM concentration below 10mM and/or reaction time to below 5min. Maximal removal of Cys activity was observed in tissue homogenates at 40mM NEM within 1min, dependent upon efficient protein denaturation. SRM assays identified peptide-specific levels of mis-alkylation, indicating that NEM-modified to unmodified ratios did not exceed 10%, with the exception of Cys alkylation that proceeded to 100%, and some Lys residues that resulted in tryptic missed cleavages. High reactivity was observed for His residues considering their relatively low abundance. These data indicate that rapid and specific Cys alkylation is possible with NEM under relatively mild conditions, with more abrasive conditions leading to increased non-specific alkylation without appreciable benefit for MS-based proteomics. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Covalent cross-linking of insulin-like growth factor-1 to a specific inhibitor from human serum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ooi, G.T.; Herington, A.C.

1986-01-01

Previous studies have shown that a specific inhibitor of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) action in vitro can be isolated from normal human serum and subsequently partially purified on an IGF-affinity column. The ability of the inhibitor to bind the IGFs has now been confirmed directly using covalent cross-linking techniques. When 125 I-IGF-1 was cross-linked to inhibitor using disuccinimidyl suberate, five specifically labelled bands were seen on SDS-PAGE and autoradiography. Two bands (MW 21.5 K and 25.5 K) were intensely labelled, while the remaining three (MW 37 K, 34 K and 18 K) appeared as minor bands only. Inhibitor bioactivity, following further analysis by hydrophobic interaction chromatography or Con A-Sepharose affinity chromatography, was always associated with the presence of the 21.5 K and/or 25.5 K bands

A mucin-like peptide from Fasciola hepatica induces parasite-specific Th1-type cell immunity.

Science.gov (United States)

Noya, Verónica; Brossard, Natalie; Berasaín, Patricia; Rodríguez, Ernesto; Chiale, Carolina; Mazal, Daniel; Carmona, Carlos; Freire, Teresa

2016-03-01

Fasciolosis, caused by the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica, is a major parasitic disease of livestock that causes significant economic losses worldwide. Although drugs are effective against liver flukes, they do not prevent reinfection, and continuous treatment is costly. Moreover, resistant fluke strains are emerging. In this context, vaccination is a good alternative since it provides a cost-effective long-term prevention strategy to control fasciolosis. In this paper, we evaluate the Fhmuc peptide as a potential vaccine against fasciolosis. This peptide derives from a mucin-like protein highly expressed in the infective stage of Fasciola hepatica. Mucin-like molecules expressed by parasites can contribute to several infection processes by protecting the parasite from host proteases and recognition by the immune system. We show that the Fhmuc peptide induces Th1-like immune responses specific for F. hepatica excretion-secretion products (FhESP) with a high production of IFNγ. We also investigated whether this peptide could protect animals from infection, and present preliminary data indicating that animals treated with Fhmuc exhibited reduced liver damage compared to non-immunised animals and that this protection was associated with a recruitment of B and T lymphocytes in the peritoneum, as well as eosinophils and mature dendritic cells. These results suggest that the mucin-like peptide Fhmuc could constitute a potential vaccine candidate against fasciolosis and pave the way towards the development of vaccines against parasites.

Specificity Characterization of SLA Class I Molecules Binding to Swine-Origin Viral Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Epitope Peptides in Vitro

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Caixia Gao

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Swine leukocyte antigen (SLA class I molecules play a crucial role in generating specific cellular immune responses against viruses and other intracellular pathogens. They mainly bind and present antigens of intracellular origin to circulating MHC I-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs. Binding of an appropriate epitope to an SLA class I molecule is the single most selective event in antigen presentation and the first step in the killing of infected cells by CD8+ CTLs. Moreover, the antigen epitopes are strictly restricted to specific SLA molecules. In this study, we constructed SLA class I complexes in vitro comprising viral epitope peptides, the extracellular region of the SLA-1 molecules, and β2-microglobulin (β2m using splicing overlap extension polymerase chain reaction (SOE-PCR. The protein complexes were induced and expressed in an Escherichia coli prokaryotic expression system and subsequently purified and refolded. Specific binding of seven SLA-1 proteins to one classical swine fever virus (CSFV and four porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV epitope peptides was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA-based method. The SLA-1∗13:01, SLA-1∗11:10, and SLA-1∗11:01:02 proteins were able to bind specifically to different CTL epitopes of CSFV and PRRSV and the MHC restrictions of the five epitopes were identified. The fixed combination of Asn151Val152 residues was identified as the potentially key amino acid residues influencing the binding of viral several CTL epitope peptides to SLA-1∗13:01 and SLA-1∗04:01:01 proteins. The more flexible pocket E in the SLA-1∗13:01 protein might have fewer steric limitations and therefore be able to accommodate more residues of viral CTL epitope peptides, and may thus play a critical biochemical role in determining the peptide-binding motif of SLA-1∗13:01. Characterization of the binding specificity of peptides to SLA class I molecules provides an

Laminin peptide YIGSR induces collagen synthesis in Hs27 human dermal fibroblasts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Jong Hyuk; Kim, Jaeyoon; Lee, Hyeongjoo [NovaCell Technology Inc., Pohang, Kyungbuk 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, So Young [Department of Dermatology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul 156-756 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Convergence Medicine and Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Graduate School, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 156-756 (Korea, Republic of); Jang, Hwan-Hee [Functional Food and Nutrition Division, Department of Agrofood Resources, Rural Development Administration, Suwon 441-853 (Korea, Republic of); Ryu, Sung Ho [Division of Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Kyungbuk 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Beom Joon [Department of Dermatology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul 156-756 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Convergence Medicine and Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Graduate School, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 156-756 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Taehoon G., E-mail: taehoon@novacelltech.com [NovaCell Technology Inc., Pohang, Kyungbuk 790-784 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-11-23

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We identify a function of the YIGSR peptide to enhance collagen synthesis in Hs27. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer YIGSR peptide enhanced collagen type 1 synthesis both of gene and protein levels. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer There were no changes in cell proliferation and MMP-1 level in YIGSR treatment. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The YIGSR effect on collagen synthesis mediated activation of FAK, pyk2 and ERK. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The YIGSR-induced FAK and ERK activation was modulated by FAK and MEK inhibitors. -- Abstract: The dermal ECM is synthesized from fibroblasts and is primarily compromised of fibrillar collagen and elastic fibers, which support the mechanical strength and resiliency of skin, respectively. Laminin, a major glycoprotein located in the basement membrane, promotes cell adhesion, cell growth, differentiation, and migration. The laminin tyrosine-isoleucine-glycine-serine-arginine (YIGSR) peptide, corresponding to the 929-933 sequence of the {beta}1 chain, is known to be a functional motif with effects on the inhibition of tumor metastasis, the regulation of sensory axonal response and the inhibition of angiogenesis through high affinity to the 67 kDa laminin receptor. In this study, we identified a novel function of the YIGSR peptide to enhance collagen synthesis in human dermal fibroblasts. To elucidate this novel function regarding collagen synthesis, we treated human dermal fibroblasts with YIGSR peptide in both a time- and dose-dependent manner. According to subsequent experiments, we found that the YIGSR peptide strongly enhanced collagen type 1 synthesis without changing cell proliferation or cellular MMP-1 level. This YIGSR peptide-mediated collagen type 1 synthesis was modulated by FAK inhibitor and MEK inhibitor. This study clearly reveals that YIGSR peptide plays a novel function on the collagen type 1 synthesis of dermal fibroblasts and also suggests that YIGSR is a strong candidate

A peptide export-import control circuit modulating bacterial development regulates protein phosphatases of the phosphorelay.

Science.gov (United States)

Perego, M

1997-08-05

The phosphorelay signal transduction system activates developmental transcription in sporulation of Bacillus subtilis by phosphorylation of aspartyl residues of the Spo0F and Spo0A response regulators. The phosphorylation level of these response regulators is determined by the opposing activities of protein kinases and protein aspartate phosphatases that interpret positive and negative signals for development in a signal integration circuit. The RapA protein aspartate phosphatase of the phosphorelay is regulated by a peptide that directly inhibits its activity. This peptide is proteolytically processed from an inactive pre-inhibitor protein encoded in the phrA gene. The pre-inhibitor is cleaved by the protein export apparatus to a putative pro-inhibitor that is further processed to the active inhibitor peptide and internalized by the oligopeptide permease. This export-import circuit is postulated to be a mechanism for timing phosphatase activity where the processing enzymes regulate the rate of formation of the active inhibitor. The processing events may, in turn, be controlled by a regulatory hierarchy. Chromosome sequencing has revealed several other phosphatase-prepeptide gene pairs in B. subtilis, suggesting that the use of this mechanism may be widespread in signal transduction.

Engineering the substrate and inhibitor specificities of human coagulation Factor VIIa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Katrine S; Østergaard, Henrik; Bjelke, Jais R

2007-01-01

The remarkably high specificity of the coagulation proteases towards macromolecular substrates is provided by numerous interactions involving the catalytic groove and remote exosites. For FVIIa [activated FVII (Factor VII)], the principal initiator of coagulation via the extrinsic pathway, several...... for FVIIa by marked changes in primary substrate specificity and decreased rates of antithrombin III inhibition. Interestingly, these changes do not necessarily coincide with an altered ability to activate Factor X, demonstrating that inhibitor and macromolecular substrate selectivity may be engineered...

Dual peptide-mediated targeted delivery of bioactive siRNAs to oral cancer cells in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander-Bryant, Angela A; Zhang, Haiwen; Attaway, Christopher C; Pugh, William; Eggart, Laurence; Sansevere, Robert M; Andino, Lourdes M; Dinh, Lu; Cantini, Liliana P; Jakymiw, Andrew

2017-09-01

Despite significant advances in cancer treatment, the prognosis for oral cancer remains poor in comparison to other cancer types, including breast, skin, and prostate. As a result, more effective therapeutic modalities are needed for the treatment of oral cancer. Consequently, in the present study, we examined the feasibility of using a dual peptide carrier approach, combining an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeting peptide with an endosome-disruptive peptide, to mediate targeted delivery of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) into EGFR-overexpressing oral cancer cells and induce silencing of the targeted oncogene, cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A). Fluorescence microscopy, real-time PCR, Western blot analysis, and in vivo bioimaging of mice containing orthotopic xenograft tumors were used to examine the ability of the dual peptide carrier to mediate specific delivery of bioactive siRNAs into EGFR-overexpressing oral cancer cells/tissues. Co-complexation of the EGFR-targeting peptide, GE11R9, with the endosome-disruptive 599 peptide facilitated the specific uptake of siRNAs into oral cancer cells overexpressing EGFR in vitro with optimal gene silencing observed at a 60:30:1 (GE11R9:599:siRNA) molar ratio. Furthermore, when administered systemically to mice bearing xenograft oral tumors, this dual peptide complex mediated increased targeted delivery of siRNAs into tumor tissues in comparison to the 599 peptide alone and significantly enhanced CIP2A silencing. Herein we provide the first report demonstrating the clinical potential of a dual peptide strategy for siRNA-based therapeutics by synergistically mediating the effective targeting and delivery of bioactive siRNAs into EGFR-overexpressing oral cancer cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generation and characterization of peptide-specific, MHC-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) and helper T cell lines from unprimed T cells under microculture conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Sambhara, S R; Upadhya, A G; Miller, R G

1990-06-12

We describe a microculture system for the generation of CTL and T helper cells against peptides. Tryptic digest and cyanogen bromide fragments of chicken ovalbumin and synthetic peptides of ovalbumin (323-339) and influenza virus (NP 365-380) were used to generate CTL and T helper lines from unprimed T cells. These lines were both peptide-specific and MHC-restricted. The relative ease of generating peptide-specific, MHC-restricted CTL and helper T cell lines with as few as 10(6) unprimed lymphocytes can be an efficient method of detecting potential immunogenic determinants of an antigen.

Scorpion Toxins Specific for Potassium (K+ Channels: A Historical Overview of Peptide Bioengineering

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Zachary L. Bergeron

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Scorpion toxins have been central to the investigation and understanding of the physiological role of potassium (K+ channels and their expansive function in membrane biophysics. As highly specific probes, toxins have revealed a great deal about channel structure and the correlation between mutations, altered regulation and a number of human pathologies. Radio- and fluorescently-labeled toxin isoforms have contributed to localization studies of channel subtypes in expressing cells, and have been further used in competitive displacement assays for the identification of additional novel ligands for use in research and medicine. Chimeric toxins have been designed from multiple peptide scaffolds to probe channel isoform specificity, while advanced epitope chimerization has aided in the development of novel molecular therapeutics. Peptide backbone cyclization has been utilized to enhance therapeutic efficiency by augmenting serum stability and toxin half-life in vivo as a number of K+-channel isoforms have been identified with essential roles in disease states ranging from HIV, T-cell mediated autoimmune disease and hypertension to various cardiac arrhythmias and Malaria. Bioengineered scorpion toxins have been monumental to the evolution of channel science, and are now serving as templates for the development of invaluable experimental molecular therapeutics.

How much of Virus-Specific CD8 T Cell Reactivity is Detected with a Peptide Pool when Compared to Individual Peptides?

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Ramu A. Subbramanian

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Immune monitoring of T cell responses increasingly relies on the use of peptide pools. Peptides, when restricted by the same HLA allele, and presented from within the same peptide pool, can compete for HLA binding sites. What impact such competition has on functional T cell stimulation, however, is not clear. Using a model peptide pool that is comprised of 32 well-defined viral epitopes from Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, and Influenza viruses (CEF peptide pool, we assessed peptide competition in PBMC from 42 human subjects. The magnitude of the peptide pool-elicited CD8 T cell responses was a mean 79% and a median 77% of the sum of the CD8 T cell responses elicited by the individual peptides. Therefore, while the effect of peptide competition was evident, it was of a relatively minor magnitude. By studying the dose-response curves for individual CEF peptides, we show that several of these peptides are present in the CEF-pool at concentrations that are orders of magnitude in excess of what is needed for the activation threshold of the CD8 T cells. The presence of such T cells with very high functional avidity for the viral antigens can explain why the effect of peptide competition is relatively minor within the CEF-pool.

Identification of antifungal H+-ATPase inhibitors with effect on the plasma membrane potential

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjellerup, Lasse; Gordon, Sandra; Cohrt, Karen O'Hanlon

2017-01-01

to depolarize the membrane and inhibit extracellular acidification in intact fungal cells, concomitant with a significant increase in intracellular ATP levels. Collectively, we suggest these effects may be a common feature for Pma1 inhibitors. Additionally, the work uncovered a dual mechanism for the previously......The plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase (Pma1) is an essential fungal protein and a proposed target for new antifungal medications. A small-molecule library containing ∼191,000 commercially available compounds was screened for inhibition of S. cerevisiae plasma membranes containing Pma1. The overall hit...... identified cationic peptide BM2, revealing fungal membrane disruption in addition to Pma1 inhibition. The methods presented here provide a solid platform for the evaluation of Pma1-specific inhibitors in a drug development setting. The present inhibitors could serve as a starting point for the development...

Residue-specific membrane location of peptides and proteins using specifically and extensively deuterated lipids and {sup 13}C-{sup 2}H rotational-echo double-resonance solid-state NMR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xie Li; Ghosh, Ujjayini; Schmick, Scott D.; Weliky, David P., E-mail: weliky@chemistry.msu.edu [Michigan State University, Department of Chemistry (United States)

2013-01-15

Residue-specific location of peptides in the hydrophobic core of membranes was examined using {sup 13}C-{sup 2}H REDOR and samples in which the lipids were selectively deuterated. The transmembrane topology of the KALP peptide was validated with this approach with substantial dephasing observed for deuteration in the bilayer center and reduced or no dephasing for deuteration closer to the headgroups. Insertion of {beta} sheet HIV and helical and {beta} sheet influenza virus fusion peptides into the hydrophobic core of the membrane was validated in samples with extensively deuterated lipids.

A biomimetic colorimetric logic gate system based on multi-functional peptide-mediated gold nanoparticle assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yong; Li, Wang; He, Kai-Yu; Li, Pei; Huang, Yan; Nie, Zhou; Yao, Shou-Zhuo

2016-04-28

In natural biological systems, proteins exploit various functional peptide motifs to exert target response and activity switch, providing a functional and logic basis for complex cellular activities. Building biomimetic peptide-based bio-logic systems is highly intriguing but remains relatively unexplored due to limited logic recognition elements and complex signal outputs. In this proof-of-principle work, we attempted to address these problems by utilizing multi-functional peptide probes and the peptide-mediated nanoparticle assembly system. Here, the rationally designed peptide probes function as the dual-target responsive element specifically responsive to metal ions and enzymes as well as the mediator regulating the assembly of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Taking advantage of Zn2+ ions and chymotrypsin as the model inputs of metal ions and enzymes, respectively, we constructed the peptide logic system computed by the multi-functional peptide probes and outputted by the readable colour change of AuNPs. In this way, the representative binary basic logic gates (AND, OR, INHIBIT, NAND, IMPLICATION) have been achieved by delicately coding the peptide sequence, demonstrating the versatility of our logic system. Additionally, we demonstrated that the three-input combinational logic gate (INHIBIT-OR) could also be successfully integrated and applied as a multi-tasking biosensor for colorimetric detection of dual targets. This nanoparticle-based peptide logic system presents a valid strategy to illustrate peptide information processing and provides a practical platform for executing peptide computing or peptide-related multiplexing sensing, implying that the controllable nanomaterial assembly is a promising and potent methodology for the advancement of biomimetic bio-logic computation.

Peptides for functionalization of InP semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Estephan, Elias; Saab, Marie-belle; Larroque, Christian; Martin, Marta; Olsson, Fredrik; Lourdudoss, Sebastian; Gergely, Csilla

2009-09-15

The challenge is to achieve high specificity in molecular sensing by proper functionalization of micro/nano-structured semiconductors by peptides that reveal specific recognition for these structures. Here we report on surface modification of the InP semiconductors by adhesion peptides produced by the phage display technique. An M13 bacteriophage library has been used to screen 10(10) different peptides against the InP(001) and the InP(111) surfaces to finally isolate specific peptides for each orientation of the InP. MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry has been employed to study real affinity of the peptide towards the InP surfaces. The peptides serve for controlled placement of biotin onto InP to bind then streptavidin. Our Atomic Force Microscopy study revealed a total surface coverage of molecules when the InP surface was functionalized by its specific biotinylated peptide (YAIKGPSHFRPS). Finally, fluorescence microscopy has been employed to demonstrate the preferential attachment of the peptide onto a micro-patterned InP surface. Use of substrate specific peptides could present an alternative solution for the problems encountered in the actually existing sensing methods and molecular self-assembly due to the unwanted unspecific interactions.

A chimeric cyclic interferon-α2b peptide induces apoptosis by sequential activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, protein kinase Cδ and p38 MAP kinase.

Science.gov (United States)

Blank, V C; Bertucci, L; Furmento, V A; Peña, C; Marino, V J; Roguin, L P

2013-06-10

We have previously demonstrated that tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT1/3 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) activation are involved in the apoptotic response triggered by a chimeric cyclic peptide of the interferon-α2b (IFN-α2b) in WISH cells. Since the peptide also induced serine phosphorylation of STAT proteins, in the present study we examined the kinase involved in serine STAT1 phosphorylation and the signaling effectors acting upstream such activation. We first found that p38 MAPK is involved in serine STAT1 phosphorylation, since a reduction of phophoserine-STAT1 levels was evident after incubating WISH cells with cyclic peptide in the presence of a p38 pharmacological inhibitor or a dominant-negative p38 mutant. Next, we demonstrated that the peptide induced activation of protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ). Based on this finding, the role of this kinase was then evaluated. After incubating WISH cells with a PKCδ inhibitor or after decreasing PKCδ expression levels by RNA interference, both peptide-induced serine STAT1 and p38 phosphorylation levels were significantly decreased, indicating that PKCδ functions as an upstream regulator of p38. We also showed that PKCδ and p38 activation stimulated by the peptide was inhibited by a specific pharmacological inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) or by a dominant-negative p85 PI3K-regulatory subunit, suggesting that PI3K is upstream in the signaling cascade. In addition, the role of PI3K and PKCδ in cyclic peptide-induced apoptosis was examined. Both signaling effectors were found to regulate the antiproliferative activity and the apoptotic response triggered by the cyclic peptide in WISH cells. In conclusion, we herein demonstrated that STAT1 serine phosphorylation is mediated by the sequential activation of PI3K, PKCδ and p38 MAPK. This signaling cascade contributes to the antitumor effect induced by the chimeric IFN-α2b cyclic peptide in WISH cells. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc

An in silico analysis of the binding modes and binding affinities of small molecule modulators of PDZ-peptide interactions.

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Garima Tiwari

Full Text Available Inhibitors of PDZ-peptide interactions have important implications in a variety of biological processes including treatment of cancer and Parkinson's disease. Even though experimental studies have reported characterization of peptidomimetic inhibitors of PDZ-peptide interactions, the binding modes for most of them have not been characterized by structural studies. In this study we have attempted to understand the structural basis of the small molecule-PDZ interactions by in silico analysis of the binding modes and binding affinities of a set of 38 small molecules with known K(i or K(d values for PDZ2 and PDZ3 domains of PSD-95 protein. These two PDZ domains show differential selectivity for these compounds despite having a high degree of sequence similarity and almost identical peptide binding pockets. Optimum binding modes for these ligands for PDZ2 and PDZ3 domains were identified by using a novel combination of semi-flexible docking and explicit solvent molecular dynamics (MD simulations. Analysis of the binding modes revealed most of the peptidomimectic ligands which had high K(i or K(d moved away from the peptide binding pocket, while ligands with high binding affinities remained in the peptide binding pocket. The differential specificities of the PDZ2 and PDZ3 domains primarily arise from differences in the conformation of the loop connecting βB and βC strands, because this loop interacts with the N-terminal chemical moieties of the ligands. We have also computed the MM/PBSA binding free energy values for these 38 compounds with both the PDZ domains from multiple 5 ns MD trajectories on each complex i.e. a total of 228 MD trajectories of 5 ns length each. Interestingly, computational binding free energies show good agreement with experimental binding free energies with a correlation coefficient of approximately 0.6. Thus our study demonstrates that combined use of docking and MD simulations can help in identification of potent inhibitors

Novel chimeric peptide with enhanced cell specificity and anti-inflammatory activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Young-Min; Kim, Nam-Hong; Lee, Jong-Wan; Jang, Jin-Sun; Park, Yung-Hoon; Park, Seong-Cheol; Jang, Mi-Kyeong

2015-07-31

An antimicrobial peptide (AMP), Hn-Mc, was designed by combining the N-terminus of HPA3NT3 and the C-terminus of melittin. This chimeric AMP exhibited potent antibacterial activity with low minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs), ranging from 1 to 2 μM against four drug-susceptible bacteria and ten drug-resistant bacteria. Moreover, the hemolysis and cytotoxicity was reduced significantly compared to those of the parent peptides, highlighting its high cell selectivity. The morphological changes in the giant unilamellar vesicles and bacterial cell surfaces caused by the Hn-Mc peptide suggested that it killed the microbial cells by damaging the membrane envelope. An in vivo study also demonstrated the antibacterial activity of the Hn-Mc peptide in a mouse model infected with drug-resistant bacteria. In addition, the chimeric peptide inhibited the expression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytokines in RAW 264.7 cells by preventing the interaction between LPS and Toll-like receptors. These results suggest that this chimeric peptide is an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory candidate as a pharmaceutic agent. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Potential clinical usefulness of new glandular and circulating parathyroid peptides illuminated by sequence specific radioimmunoassay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindall, A.W.; Cecchettin, M.

1981-01-01

It is now well known that human PTH peptides constitute a heterogeneous population of fragments of the eighty-four amino acid molecules. Over the years, considerable confusion has resulted from measurements made in both clinical and experimental settings with radioimmunoassays of either undefined or partially-defined specificity for a particular region of the intact molecule. The approach of the authors has been to make use of modern technology to synthesize peptide fragments that mimic portions of native molecules, and to use these fragments in RIA. A more detailed description of a portion of this work will appear in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. (Auth.)

SGLT2 inhibitors or GLP-1 receptor agonists as second-line therapy in type 2 diabetes: patient selection and perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Gurgle, Holly E; White, Karen; McAdam-Marx, Carrie

2016-01-01

Controversy exists regarding the selection of second-line therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who are unable to achieve glycemic control with metformin therapy alone. Newer pharmacologic treatments for T2DM include glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors. Both the classes of medication are efficacious, exhibit positive effects on weight, and are associated with minimal risk of hypoglycemia. The purpose of this review is to compare the clinical trial and real-world effectiveness data of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists versus sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors related to A1c reduction, weight loss, cost-effectiveness, cardiovascular outcomes, and safety in patients with T2DM. This review summarizes comparative evidence for providers who are determining which of the two classes may be the most appropriate for a specific patient.

Bioavailability and transport of peptides and peptide drugs into the brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Egleton, R D; Davis, T P

1997-01-01

Rational drug design and the targeting of specific organs has become a reality in modern drug development, with the emergence of molecular biology and receptor chemistry as powerful tools for the pharmacologist. A greater understanding of peptide function as one of the major extracellular message systems has made neuropeptides an important target in neuropharmaceutical drug design. The major obstacle to targeting the brain with therapeutics is the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which controls the concentration and entry of solutes into the central nervous system. Peptides are generally polar in nature, do not easily cross the blood-brain barrier by diffusion, and except for a small number do not have specific transport systems. Peptides can also undergo metabolic deactivation by peptidases of the blood, brain and the endothelial cells that comprise the BBB. In this review, we discuss a number of the recent strategies which have been used to promote peptide stability and peptide entry into the brain. In addition, we approach the subject of targeting specific transport systems that can be found on the brain endothelial cells, and describe the limitations of the methodologies that are currently used to study brain entry of neuropharmaceuticals.

Effective delivery of a nematode-repellent peptide using a root-cap-specific promoter.

Science.gov (United States)

Lilley, Catherine J; Wang, Dong; Atkinson, Howard J; Urwin, Peter E

2011-02-01

The potential of the MDK4-20 promoter of Arabidopsis thaliana to direct effective transgenic expression of a secreted nematode-repellent peptide was investigated. Its expression pattern was studied in both transgenic Arabidopsis and Solanum tuberosum (potato) plants. It directed root-specific β-glucuronidase expression in both species that was chiefly localized to cells of the root cap. Use of the fluorescent timer protein dsRED-E5 established that the MDK4-20 promoter remains active for longer than the commonly used constitutive promoter CaMV35S in separated potato root border cells. Transgenic Arabidopsis lines that expressed the nematode-repellent peptide under the control of either AtMDK4-20 or CaMV35S reduced the establishment of the beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii. The best line using the AtMDK4-20 promoter displayed a level of resistance >80%, comparable to that of lines using the CaMV35S promoter. In transgenic potato plants, 94.9 ± 0.8% resistance to the potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida was achieved using the AtMDK4-20 promoter, compared with 34.4 ± 8.4% resistance displayed by a line expressing the repellent peptide from the CaMV35S promoter. These results establish the potential of the AtMDK4-20 promoter to limit expression of a repellent peptide whilst maintaining or even improving the efficacy of the cyst-nematode defence. © 2010 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal © 2010 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Single-subunit oligosaccharyltransferases of Trypanosoma brucei display different and predictable peptide acceptor specificities.

Science.gov (United States)

Jinnelov, Anders; Ali, Liaqat; Tinti, Michele; Güther, Maria Lucia S; Ferguson, Michael A J

2017-12-08

Trypanosoma brucei causes African trypanosomiasis and contains three full-length oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) genes; two of which, Tb STT3A and Tb STT3B, are expressed in the bloodstream form of the parasite. These OSTs have different peptide acceptor and lipid-linked oligosaccharide donor specificities, and trypanosomes do not follow many of the canonical rules developed for other eukaryotic N -glycosylation pathways, raising questions as to the basic architecture and detailed function of trypanosome OSTs. Here, we show by blue-native gel electrophoresis and stable isotope labeling in cell culture proteomics that the Tb STT3A and Tb STT3B proteins associate with each other in large complexes that contain no other detectable protein subunits. We probed the peptide acceptor specificities of the OSTs in vivo using a transgenic glycoprotein reporter system and performed glycoproteomics on endogenous parasite glycoproteins using sequential endoglycosidase H and peptide: N -glycosidase-F digestions. This allowed us to assess the relative occupancies of numerous N -glycosylation sites by endoglycosidase H-resistant N -glycans originating from Man 5 GlcNAc 2 -PP-dolichol transferred by Tb STT3A, and endoglycosidase H-sensitive N -glycans originating from Man 9 GlcNAc 2 -PP-dolichol transferred by Tb STT3B. Using machine learning, we assessed the features that best define Tb STT3A and Tb STT3B substrates in vivo and built an algorithm to predict the types of N -glycan most likely to predominate at all the putative N -glycosylation sites in the parasite proteome. Finally, molecular modeling was used to suggest why Tb STT3A has a distinct preference for sequons containing and/or flanked by acidic amino acid residues. Together, these studies provide insights into how a highly divergent eukaryote has re-wired protein N -glycosylation to provide protein sequence-specific N -glycan modifications. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifiers PXD007236, PXD007267

Novel Antimicrobial Peptides That Inhibit Gram Positive Bacterial Exotoxin Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Merriman, Joseph A.; Nemeth, Kimberly A.; Schlievert, Patrick M.

2014-01-01

Gram-positive bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, cause serious human illnesses through combinations of surface virulence factors and secretion of exotoxins. Our prior studies using the protein synthesis inhibitor clindamycin and signal transduction inhibitors glycerol monolaurate and α-globin and β-globin chains of hemoglobin indicate that their abilities to inhibit exotoxin production by S. aureus are separable from abilities to inhibit growth of the organism. Additionally, our previous studies suggest that inhibition of exotoxin production, in absence of ability to kill S. aureus and normal flora lactobacilli, will prevent colonization by pathogenic S. aureus, while not interfering with lactobacilli colonization. These disparate activities may be important in development of novel anti-infective agents that do not alter normal flora. We initiated studies to explore the exotoxin-synthesis-inhibition activity of hemoglobin peptides further to develop potential agents to prevent S. aureus infections. We tested synthesized α-globin chain peptides, synthetic variants of α-globin chain peptides, and two human defensins for ability to inhibit exotoxin production without significantly inhibiting S. aureus growth. All of these peptides were weakly or not inhibitory to bacterial growth. However, the peptides were inhibitory to exotoxin production with increasing activity dependent on increasing numbers of positively-charged amino acids. Additionally, the peptides could be immobilized on agarose beads or have amino acid sequences scrambled and still retain exotoxin-synthesis-inhibition. The peptides are not toxic to human vaginal epithelial cells and do not inhibit growth of normal flora L. crispatus. These peptides may interfere with plasma membrane signal transduction in S. aureus due to their positive charges. PMID:24748386

Complementary roles in cancer prevention: protease inhibitor makes the cancer preventive peptide lunasin bioavailable.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chia-Chien Hsieh

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The lower incidence of breast cancer among Asian women compared with Western countries has been partly attributed to soy in the Asian diet, leading to efforts to identify the bioactive components that are responsible. Soy Bowman Birk Inhibitor Concentrate (BBIC is a known cancer preventive agent now in human clinical trials. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The objectives of this work are to establish the presence and delineate the in vitro activity of lunasin and BBI found in BBIC, and study their bioavailability after oral administration to mice and rats. We report that lunasin and BBI are the two main bioactive ingredients of BBIC based on inhibition of foci formation, lunasin being more efficacious than BBI on an equimolar basis. BBI and soy Kunitz Trypsin Inhibitor protect lunasin from in vitro digestion with pancreatin. Oral administration of (3H-labeled lunasin with lunasin-enriched soy results in 30% of the peptide reaching target tissues in an intact and bioactive form. In a xenograft model of nude mice transplanted with human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells, intraperitoneal injections of lunasin, at 20 mg/kg and 4 mg/kg body weight, decrease tumor incidence by 49% and 33%, respectively, compared with the vehicle-treated group. In contrast, injection with BBI at 20 mg/kg body weight shows no effect on tumor incidence. Tumor generation is significantly reduced with the two doses of lunasin, while BBI is ineffective. Lunasin inhibits cell proliferation and induces cell death in the breast tumor sections. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We conclude that lunasin is actually the bioactive cancer preventive agent in BBIC, and BBI simply protects lunasin from digestion when soybean and other seed foods are eaten by humans.

Identification of tyrosinase specific inhibitors from Xanthium strumarium fruit extract using ultrafiltration-high performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhiqiang; Hwang, Seung Hwan; Huang, Bo; Lim, Soon Sung

2015-10-01

In this study, a strategy based on ultrafiltration-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection (UF-HPLC-DAD) was proposed for screening tyrosinase specific inhibitors in Xanthii fructus. The false negatives were distinguished by optimizing the UF-HPLC-DAD parameters to reduce the background noise; the false positives were distinguished by introducing a blocked tyrosinase in the control group for comparison. To obtain the best blocker, the competitive experiments were performed using various known ligands. Using this strategy, three competitive inhibitors (protocatechuic acid; 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid; and 1,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid) and one mixed-type inhibitor (chlorogenic acid) were identified. These results were verified using tyrosinase inhibition assay, kinetic analysis, and structural simulation of the complex. Our experimental results suggest that the proposed strategy could be useful for high-throughput identification of tyrosinase specific inhibitors in natural products. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Construction of a multifunctional coating consisting of phospholipids and endothelial progenitor cell-specific peptides on titanium substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Huiqing; Li, Xiaojing [Key Lab. of Advanced Technology for Materials of Education Ministry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Zhao, Yuancong, E-mail: zhaoyc7320@163.com [Key Lab. of Advanced Technology for Materials of Education Ministry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Li, Jingan; Chen, Jiang [Key Lab. of Advanced Technology for Materials of Education Ministry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Yang, Ping, E-mail: yangping8@263.net [Key Lab. of Advanced Technology for Materials of Education Ministry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Maitz, Manfred F. [Key Lab. of Advanced Technology for Materials of Education Ministry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden, Leibniz of Polymer Research Dresden, 01069 Dresden (Germany); Huang, Nan [Key Lab. of Advanced Technology for Materials of Education Ministry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China)

2015-08-30

Graphical abstract: The phospholipid groups of PMMDP can inhibit platele adhesion, and the EPCs-specific peptide of the PMMDP showed special recognition and capture for EPCs. The catechol groups of PMMDP play a critical role as molecular anchor for balancing the binding between the coating and the substrate. - Highlights: • The uniform coating of PMMDP can be constructed on titanium surface successfully through the catechol groups. • The phospholipid groups of PMMDP can inhibit platele adhesion, fibrinogen denaturation and improve the hydrophilicity of substrate. • The EPCs-specific peptide of the PMMDP showed special recognition and capture for EPCs. - Abstract: A phospholipid/peptide polymer (PMMDP) with phosphorylcholine groups, endothelial progenitor cell (EPC)-specific peptides and catechol groups was anchored onto a titanium (Ti) surface to fabricate a biomimetic multifunctional surface. The PMMDP coating was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), water contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. The amount of PMMDP coating on the Ti surface was quantified by using the quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D). Interactions between blood components and the coated and bare Ti substrates were evaluated by platelet adhesion and activation assays and fibrinogen denaturation test using platelet rich plasma (PRP). The results revealed that the PMMDP-modified surface inhibited fibrinogen denaturation and reduced platelet adhesion and activation. EPC cell culture on the PMMDP-modified surface showed increased adhesion and proliferation of EPCs when compared to the cells cultured on untreated Ti surface. The inhibition of fibrinogen denaturation and platelet adhesion and support of EPCs attachment and proliferation indicated that this coating might be beneficial for future applications in blood-contacting implants, such as vascular stents.

Type II collagen in cartilage evokes peptide-specific tolerance and skews the immune response.

Science.gov (United States)

Malmström, V; Kjellén, P; Holmdahl, R

1998-06-01

T cell recognition of type II collagen (CII) is a crucial event in the induction of collagen-induced arthritis in the mouse. Several CII peptides have been shown to be of importance, dependent on which MHC haplotype the mouse carries. By sequencing the rat CII and comparing the sequence with mouse, human, bovine and chicken CII, we have found that the immunodominant peptides all differ at critical positions compared with the autologous mouse sequence. Transgenic expression of the immunodominant Aq-restricted heterologous CII 256-270 epitope inserted into type I collagen (TSC mice) or type II collagen (MMC-1 mice) led to epitope-specific tolerance. Immunization of TSC mice with chick CII led to arthritis and immune responses, dependent on the subdominant, Aq-restricted and chick-specific CII 190-200 epitope. Immunization of F1 mice, expressing both H-2q and H-2r as well as transgenic expression of the Aq-restricted CII 256-270 epitope in cartilage, with bovine CII, led to arthritis, dependent on the Ar-restricted, bovine-specific epitope CII 607-621. These data show that the immunodominance of CII recognition is directed towards heterologous determinants, and that T cells directed towards the corresponding autologous epitopes are tolerated without evidence of active suppression.

Chemical structure and properties of low-molecular furin inhibitors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. V. Osadchuk

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The review is devoted to the analysis of the relationship between a chemical structure and properties of low-molecular weight inhibitors of furin, the most studied proprotein convertase, which is involved in the development of some pathologies, such as oncologic diseases, viral and bacterial infections, etc. The latest data concerning the influence of peptides, pseudo-peptides, aromatic and heterocyclic compounds, some natural ones such as flavonoids, coumarins, and others on enzyme inactivation are considered. The power of furin inhibition is shown to rise with the increasing number of positively charged groups in the structure of these compounds. Peptidomimetics (Ki = 5-8 pM are shown to be the most effective furin inhibitors. The synthesized substances, however, have not been used in practical application yet. Nowadays it is very important to find more selective inhibitors, improve their stability, bioavailability and safety for the human organism.

Structural Bioinformatics-Based Prediction of Exceptional Selectivity of p38 MAP Kinase Inhibitor PH-797804

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xing, Li; Shieh, Huey S.; Selness, Shaun R.; Devraj, Rajesh V.; Walker, John K.; Devadas, Balekudru; Hope, Heidi R.; Compton, Robert P.; Schindler, John F.; Hirsch, Jeffrey L.; Benson, Alan G.; Kurumbail, Ravi G.; Stegeman, Roderick A.; Williams, Jennifer M.; Broadus, Richard M.; Walden, Zara; Monahan, Joseph B.; Pfizer

2009-07-24

PH-797804 is a diarylpyridinone inhibitor of p38{alpha} mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase derived from a racemic mixture as the more potent atropisomer (aS), first proposed by molecular modeling and subsequently confirmed by experiments. On the basis of structural comparison with a different biaryl pyrazole template and supported by dozens of high-resolution crystal structures of p38{alpha} inhibitor complexes, PH-797804 is predicted to possess a high level of specificity across the broad human kinase genome. We used a structural bioinformatics approach to identify two selectivity elements encoded by the TXXXG sequence motif on the p38{alpha} kinase hinge: (i) Thr106 that serves as the gatekeeper to the buried hydrophobic pocket occupied by 2,4-difluorophenyl of PH-797804 and (ii) the bidentate hydrogen bonds formed by the pyridinone moiety with the kinase hinge requiring an induced 180{sup o} rotation of the Met109-Gly110 peptide bond. The peptide flip occurs in p38{alpha} kinase due to the critical glycine residue marked by its conformational flexibility. Kinome-wide sequence mining revealed rare presentation of the selectivity motif. Corroboratively, PH-797804 exhibited exceptionally high specificity against MAP kinases and the related kinases. No cross-reactivity was observed in large panels of kinase screens (selectivity ratio of >500-fold). In cellular assays, PH-797804 demonstrated superior potency and selectivity consistent with the biochemical measurements. PH-797804 has met safety criteria in human phase I studies and is under clinical development for several inflammatory conditions. Understanding the rationale for selectivity at the molecular level helps elucidate the biological function and design of specific p38{alpha} kinase inhibitors.

Patient-specific dosimetry in peptide receptor radionuclide therapy: a clinical review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chalkia, M.T.; Stefanoyiannis, A.P.; Chatziioannou, S.N.; Efstathopoulos, E.P.; Round, W.H.; Nikiforidis, G.C.

2015-01-01

Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) belong to a relatively rare class of neoplasms. Nonetheless, their prevalence has increased significantly during the last decades. Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) is a relatively new treatment approach for inoperable or metastasised NETs. The therapeutic effect is based on the binding of radiolabelled somatostatin analogue peptides with NETs’ somatostatin receptors, resulting in internal irradiation of tumours. Pre-therapeutic patient-specific dosimetry is essential to ensure that a treatment course has high levels of safety and efficacy. This paper reviews the methods applied for PRRT dosimetry, as well as the dosimetric results presented in the literature. Focus is given on data concerning the therapeutic somatostatin analogue radiopeptides 111 In-[DTPA o , D -Phe 1 ]-octreotide ( 111 In-DTPA-octreotide), 90 Y-[DOTA o ,Tyr 3 ]-octreotide ( 90 Y-DOTATOC) and 177 Lu-[DOTA o ,Tyr 3 ,Thr 8 ]-octreotide ( 177 Lu-DOTATATE). Following the Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) Committee formalism, dosimetric analysis demonstrates large interpatient variability in tumour and organ uptake, with kidneys and bone marrow being the critical organs. The results are dependent on the image acquisition and processing protocol, as well as the dosimetric imaging radiopharmaceutical.

Effects of matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor doxycycline and CD147 antagonist peptide-9 on gallbladder carcinoma cell lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shihang; Liu, Chao; Liu, Xinjiang; He, Yanxin; Shen, Dongfang; Luo, Qiankun; Dong, Yuxi; Dong, Haifeng; Pang, Zhigang

2017-10-01

Gallbladder carcinoma is the most common and aggressive malignancy of the biliary tree and highly expresses CD147, which is closely related to disease prognosis in a variety of human cancers. Doxycycline exhibited anti-tumor properties in many cancer cells. CD147 antagonist peptide-9 is a polypeptide and can specifically bind to CD147. The effect of these two drugs on gallbladder cancer cells has not been studied. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of doxycycline and antagonist peptide-9 on gallbladder carcinoma cells and the possible mechanism of inhibition on cancer cell of doxycycline. To investigate the effects of doxycycline and antagonist peptide-9 on gallbladder carcinoma cells (GBC-SD and SGC-996), cell proliferation, CD147 expression, and early-stage apoptosis rate were measured after treated with doxycycline. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 activities were measured after treated with different concentrations of doxycycline, antagonist peptide-9, and their combination. The results demonstrated that doxycycline inhibited cell proliferation, reduced CD147 expression level, and induced an early-stage apoptosis response in GBC-SD and SGC-996 cells. The matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 activities were inhibited by antagonist peptide-9 and doxycycline, and the inhibitory effects were enhanced by combined drugs in gallbladder carcinoma cell lines. Taken together, doxycycline showed inhibitory effects on gallbladder carcinoma cell lines and reduced the expression of CD147, and this may be the mechanism by which doxycycline inhibits cancer cells. This study provides new information and tries to implement the design of adjuvant therapy method for gallbladder carcinoma.

Effect of specific enzyme inhibitors on replication, total genome DNA repair and on gene-specific DNA repair after UV irradiation in CHO cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, J.C.; Stevsner, Tinna; Bohr, Vilhelm A. (National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD (USA). Division of Cancer Treatment, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology); Mattern, M.R. (Smith Kline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, King of Prussia, PA (USA). Department of Biomolecular Discovery)

1991-09-01

The effects were studied of some specific enzyme inhibitors on DNA repair and replication after UV damage in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The DNA repair was studied at the level of the average, overall genome and also in the active dihydrofolate reductase gene. Replication was measured in the overall genome. The inhibitors were tested of DNA poly-merase {alpha} and {delta} (aphidicolin), of poly(ADPr) polymerase (3-aminobenzamide), of ribonucleotide reductase (hydroxyurea), of topo-isomerase I (camptothecin), and of topoisomerase II (merbarone, VP-16). In addition, the effects were tested of the potential topoisomerase I activator, {beta}-lapachone. All of these compounds inhibited genome replication and all topoisomerase inhibitors affected the overall genome repair; {beta}-lapachone stimulated it. None of these compounds had any effect on the gene-specific repair. (author). 36 refs.; 3 figs.; 2 tabs.

The Hydrophobic Region of the DmsA Twin-Arginine Leader Peptide Determines Specificity with Chaperone DmsD

OpenAIRE

Winstone, Tara M. L.; Tran, Vy A.; Turner, Raymond J.

2013-01-01

The system specific chaperone DmsD plays a role in the maturation of the catalytic subunit of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) reductase, DmsA. Pre-DmsA contains a 45-amino acid twin-arginine leader peptide that is important for targeting and translocation of folded and cofactor-loaded DmsA by the twin-arginine translocase. DmsD has previously been shown to interact with the complete twin-arginine leader peptide of DmsA. In this study, isothermal titration calorimetry was used to investigate the the...

Discovery of non-peptidic small molecule inhibitors of cyclophilin D as neuroprotective agents in Aβ-induced mitochondrial dysfunction

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Insun; Londhe, Ashwini M.; Lim, Ji Woong; Park, Beoung-Geon; Jung, Seo Yun; Lee, Jae Yeol; Lim, Sang Min; No, Kyoung Tai; Lee, Jiyoun; Pae, Ae Nim

2017-10-01

Cyclophilin D (CypD) is a mitochondria-specific cyclophilin that is known to play a pivotal role in the formation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP).The formation and opening of the mPTP disrupt mitochondrial homeostasis, cause mitochondrial dysfunction and eventually lead to cell death. Several recent studies have found that CypD promotes the formation of the mPTP upon binding to β amyloid (Aβ) peptides inside brain mitochondria, suggesting that neuronal CypD has a potential to be a promising therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we generated an energy-based pharmacophore model by using the crystal structure of CypD—cyclosporine A (CsA) complex and performed virtual screening of ChemDiv database, which yielded forty-five potential hit compounds with novel scaffolds. We further tested those compounds using mitochondrial functional assays in neuronal cells and identified fifteen compounds with excellent protective effects against Aβ-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. To validate whether these effects derived from binding to CypD, we performed surface plasmon resonance (SPR)—based direct binding assays with selected compounds and discovered compound 29 was found to have the equilibrium dissociation constants (KD) value of 88.2 nM. This binding affinity value and biological activity correspond well with our predicted binding mode. We believe that this study offers new insights into the rational design of small molecule CypD inhibitors, and provides a promising lead for future therapeutic development.

Peptide YY receptors in the brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inui, A.; Oya, M.; Okita, M.

1988-01-01

Radiolabelled ligand binding studies demonstrated that specific receptors for peptide YY are present in the porcine as well as the canine brains. Peptide YY was bound to brain tissue membranes via high-affinity (dissociation constant, 1.39 X 10(-10)M) and low-affinity (dissociation constant, 3.72 X 10(-8)M) components. The binding sites showed a high specificity for peptide YY and neuropeptide Y, but not for pancreatic polypeptide or structurally unrelated peptides. The specific activity of peptide YY binding was highest in the hippocampus, followed by the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus, and the amygdala of the porcine brain, this pattern being similarly observed in the canine brain. The results suggest that peptide YY and neuropeptide Y may regulate the function of these regions of the brain through interaction with a common receptor site

Inhibitor specificity of recombinant and endogenous caspase-9.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Ciara A; Stennicke, Henning R; Nava, Victor E; Burch, Jennifer B; Hardwick, J Marie; Salvesen, Guy S

2002-01-01

Apoptosis triggered through the intrinsic pathway by radiation and anti-neoplastic drugs is initiated by the activation of caspase-9. To elucidate control mechanisms in this pathway we used a range of synthetic and natural reagents. The inhibitory potency of acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-aldehyde ('Ac-DEVD-CHO'), benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone ('Z-VAD-FMK') and the endogenous caspase inhibitor X-chromosome-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein ('XIAP') against recombinant caspase-9 were predictive of the efficacy of these compounds in a cell-free system. However, the viral proteins CrmA and p35, although potent inhibitors of recombinant caspase-9, had almost no ability to block caspase-9 in this system. These findings were also mirrored in cell expression studies. We hypothesize that the viral inhibitors CrmA and p35 are excluded from reacting productively with the natural form of active caspase-9 in vivo, making the potency of inhibitors highly context-dependent. This is supported by survival data from a mouse model of apoptosis driven by Sindbis virus expressing either p35 or a catalytic mutant of caspase-9. These results consolidate previous findings that CrmA is a potent inhibitor of caspase-9 in vitro, yet fails to block caspase-9-mediated cell death. PMID:12067274

Common γ-chain blocking peptide reduces in vitro immune activation markers in HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Massoud, Raya; Enose-Akahata, Yoshimi; Tagaya, Yutaka; Azimi, Nazli; Basheer, Asjad; Jacobson, Steven

2015-09-01

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is a progressive inflammatory myelopathy occurring in a subset of HTLV-1-infected individuals. Despite advances in understanding its immunopathogenesis, an effective treatment remains to be found. IL-2 and IL-15, members of the gamma chain (γc) family of cytokines, are prominently deregulated in HAM/TSP and underlie many of the characteristic immune abnormalities, such as spontaneous lymphocyte proliferation (SP), increased STAT5 phosphorylation in the lymphocytes, and increased frequency and cytotoxicity of virus-specific cytotoxic CD8(+) T lymphocytes (CTLs). In this study, we describe a novel immunomodulatory strategy consisting of selective blockade of certain γc family cytokines, including IL-2 and IL-15, with a γc antagonistic peptide. In vitro, a PEGylated form of the peptide, named BNZ132-1-40, reduced multiple immune activation markers such as SP, STAT5 phosphorylation, spontaneous degranulation of CD8(+) T cells, and the frequency of transactivator protein (Tax)-specific CD8(+) CTLs, thought to be major players in the immunopathogenesis of the disease. This strategy is thus a promising therapeutic approach to HAM/TSP with the potential of being more effective than single monoclonal antibodies targeting either IL-2 or IL-15 receptors and safer than inhibitors of downstream signaling molecules such as JAK1 inhibitors. Finally, selective cytokine blockade with antagonistic peptides might be applicable to multiple other conditions in which cytokines are pathogenic.

Inhibition of Vaccinia virus entry by a broad spectrum antiviral peptide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altmann, S.E.; Jones, J.C.; Schultz-Cherry, S.; Brandt, C.R.

2009-01-01

Concerns about the possible use of Variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox, as a weapon for bioterrorism have led to renewed efforts to identify new antivirals against orthopoxviruses. We identified a peptide, EB, which inhibited infection by Vaccinia virus with an EC 50 of 15 μM. A control peptide, EBX, identical in composition to EB but differing in sequence, was inactive (EC 50 > 200 μM), indicating sequence specificity. The inhibition was reversed upon removal of the peptide, and EB treatment had no effect on the physical integrity of virus particles as determined by electron microscopy. Viral adsorption was unaffected by the presence of EB, and the addition of EB post-entry had no effect on viral titers or on early gene expression. The addition of EB post-adsorption resulted in the inhibition of β-galactosidase expression from an early viral promoter with an EC 50 of 45 μM. A significant reduction in virus entry was detected in the presence of the peptide when the number of viral cores released into the cytoplasm was quantified. Electron microscopy indicated that 88% of the virions remained on the surface of cells in the presence of EB, compared to 37% in the control (p < 0.001). EB also blocked fusion-from-within, suggesting that virus infection is inhibited at the fusion step. Analysis of EB derivatives suggested that peptide length may be important for the activity of EB. The EB peptide is, to our knowledge, the first known small molecule inhibitor of Vaccinia virus entry.

Structural Studies on Intact Clostridium Botulinum Neurotoxins Complexed with Inhibitors Leading to Drug Design

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Swaminathan, Subramanyam

2005-01-01

.... While one is common to botulinum toxins, the other is unique for tetanus. The second unique site also binds a tri-peptide which suggests that this peptide could be used as an inhibitor for tetanus, at least...

Molecular Targets of Antihypertensive Peptides: Understanding the Mechanisms of Action Based on the Pathophysiology of Hypertension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaustav Majumder

2014-12-01

Full Text Available There is growing interest in using functional foods or nutraceuticals for the prevention and treatment of hypertension or high blood pressure. Although numerous preventive and therapeutic pharmacological interventions are available on the market, unfortunately, many patients still suffer from poorly controlled hypertension. Furthermore, most pharmacological drugs, such as inhibitors of angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE, are often associated with significant adverse effects. Many bioactive food compounds have been characterized over the past decades that may contribute to the management of hypertension; for example, bioactive peptides derived from various food proteins with antihypertensive properties have gained a great deal of attention. Some of these peptides have exhibited potent in vivo antihypertensive activity in both animal models and human clinical trials. This review provides an overview about the complex pathophysiology of hypertension and demonstrates the potential roles of food derived bioactive peptides as viable interventions targeting specific pathways involved in this disease process. This review offers a comprehensive guide for understanding and utilizing the molecular mechanisms of antihypertensive actions of food protein derived peptides.

The antimicrobial peptide, lactoferricin B, is cytotoxic to neuroblastoma cells in vitro and inhibits xenograft growth in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Eliassen, Liv Tone; Berge, Gerd; Leknessund, Arild; Wikman, Mari; Lindin, Inger; Løkke, Cecilie; Ponthan, Frida; Johnsen, John Inge; Sveinbjørnsson, Baldur; Kogner, Per; Flaegstad, Trond; Rekdal, Øystein

2006-08-01

Antimicrobial peptides have been shown to exert cytotoxic activity towards cancer cells through their ability to interact with negatively charged cell membranes. In this study the cytotoxic effect of the antimicrobial peptide, LfcinB was tested in a panel of human neuroblastoma cell lines. LfcinB displayed a selective cytotoxic activity against both MYCN-amplified and non-MYCN-amplified cell lines. Non-transformed fibroblasts were not substantially affected by LfcinB. Treatment of neuroblastoma cells with LfcinB induced rapid destabilization of the cytoplasmic membrane and formation of membrane blebs. Depolarization of the mitochondria membranes and irreversible changes in the mitochondria morphology was also evident. Immuno- and fluorescence-labeled LfcinB revealed that the peptide co-localized with mitochondria. Furthermore, treatment of neuroblastoma cells with LfcinB induced cleavage of caspase-6, -7 and -9 followed by cell death. However, neither addition of the pan-caspase inhibitor, zVAD-fmk, or specific caspase inhibitors could reverse the cytotoxic effect induced by LfcinB. Treatment of established SH-SY-5Y neuroblastoma xenografts with repeated injections of LfcinB resulted in significant tumor growth inhibition. These results revealed a selective destabilizing effect of LfcinB on two important targets in the neuroblastoma cells, the cytoplasmic- and the mitochondria membrane. Copyright (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Anti-fibrinolytic and anti-microbial activities of a serine protease inhibitor from honeybee (Apis cerana) venom.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jie; Lee, Kwang Sik; Kim, Bo Yeon; Choi, Yong Soo; Yoon, Hyung Joo; Jia, Jingming; Jin, Byung Rae

2017-10-01

Bee venom contains a variety of peptide constituents, including low-molecular-weight protease inhibitors. While the putative low-molecular-weight serine protease inhibitor Api m 6 containing a trypsin inhibitor-like cysteine-rich domain was identified from honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom, no anti-fibrinolytic or anti-microbial roles for this inhibitor have been elucidated. In this study, we identified an Asiatic honeybee (A. cerana) venom serine protease inhibitor (AcVSPI) that was shown to act as a microbial serine protease inhibitor and plasmin inhibitor. AcVSPI was found to consist of a trypsin inhibitor-like domain that displays ten cysteine residues. Interestingly, the AcVSPI peptide sequence exhibited high similarity to the putative low-molecular-weight serine protease inhibitor Api m 6, which suggests that AcVSPI is an allergen Api m 6-like peptide. Recombinant AcVSPI was expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells, and it demonstrated inhibitory activity against trypsin, but not chymotrypsin. Additionally, AcVSPI has inhibitory effects against plasmin and microbial serine proteases; however, it does not have any detectable inhibitory effects on thrombin or elastase. Consistent with these inhibitory effects, AcVSPI inhibited the plasmin-mediated degradation of fibrin to fibrin degradation products. AcVSPI also bound to bacterial and fungal surfaces and exhibited anti-microbial activity against fungi as well as gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. These findings demonstrate the anti-fibrinolytic and anti-microbial roles of AcVSPI as a serine protease inhibitor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A general strategy to endow natural fusion-protein-derived peptides with potent antiviral activity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonello Pessi

Full Text Available Fusion between the viral and target cell membranes is an obligatory step for the infectivity of all enveloped virus, and blocking this process is a clinically validated therapeutic strategy.Viral fusion is driven by specialized proteins which, although specific to each virus, act through a common mechanism, the formation of a complex between two heptad repeat (HR regions. The HR regions are initially separated in an intermediate termed "prehairpin", which bridges the viral and cell membranes, and then fold onto each other to form a 6-helical bundle (6HB, driving the two membranes to fuse. HR-derived peptides can inhibit viral infectivity by binding to the prehairpin intermediate and preventing its transition to the 6HB.The antiviral activity of HR-derived peptides differs considerably among enveloped viruses. For weak inhibitors, potency can be increased by peptide engineering strategies, but sequence-specific optimization is time-consuming. In seeking ways to increase potency without changing the native sequence, we previously reported that attachment to the HR peptide of a cholesterol group ("cholesterol-tagging" dramatically increases its antiviral potency, and simultaneously increases its half-life in vivo. We show here that antiviral potency may be increased by combining cholesterol-tagging with dimerization of the HR-derived sequence, using as examples human parainfluenza virus, Nipah virus, and HIV-1. Together, cholesterol-tagging and dimerization may represent strategies to boost HR peptide potency to levels that in some cases may be compatible with in vivo use, possibly contributing to emergency responses to outbreaks of existing or novel viruses.

Role of αA-crystallin-derived αA66-80 peptide in guinea pig lens crystallin aggregation and insolubilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Raju, Murugesan; Mooney, Brian P; Thakkar, Kavi M; Giblin, Frank J; Schey, Kevin L; Sharma, K Krishna

2015-03-01

Earlier we reported that low molecular weight (LMW) peptides accumulate in aging human lens tissue and that among the LMW peptides, the chaperone inhibitor peptide αA66-80, derived from α-crystallin protein, is one of the predominant peptides. We showed that in vitro αA66-80 induces protein aggregation. The current study was undertaken to determine whether LMW peptides are also present in guinea pig lens tissue subjected to hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) in vivo. The nuclear opacity induced by HBO in guinea pig lens is the closest animal model for studying age-related cataract formation in humans. A LMW peptide profile by mass spectrometry showed the presence of an increased amount of LMW peptides in HBO-treated guinea pig lenses compared to age-matched controls. Interestingly, the mass spectrometric data also showed that the chaperone inhibitor peptide αA66-80 accumulates in HBO-treated guinea pig lens. Following incubation of synthetic chaperone inhibitor peptide αA66-80 with α-crystallin from guinea pig lens extracts, we observed a decreased ability of α-crystallin to inhibit the amorphous aggregation of the target protein alcohol dehydrogenase and the formation of large light scattering aggregates, similar to those we have observed with human α-crystallin and αA66-80 peptide. Further, time-lapse recordings showed that a preformed complex of α-crystallin and αA66-80 attracted additional crystallin molecules to form even larger aggregates. These results demonstrate that LMW peptide-mediated cataract development in aged human lens and in HBO-induced lens opacity in the guinea pig may have common molecular pathways. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antimicrobial peptide KSL-W promotes gingival fibroblast healing properties in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hyun-Jin; Salem, Mabrouka; Semlali, Abdelhabib; Leung, Kai P; Rouabhia, Mahmoud

2017-07-01

We investigated the effect of synthetic antimicrobial decapeptide KSL-W (KKVVFWVKFK) on normal human gingival fibroblast growth, migration, collagen gel contraction, and α-smooth muscle actin protein expression. Results show that in addition to promoting fibroblast adhesion by increasing F-actin production, peptide KSL-W promoted cell growth by increasing the S and G2/M cell cycle phases, and enhanced the secretion of metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 and MMP-2 by upregulating MMP inhibitors, such as tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2 in fibroblasts. An in vitro wound healing assay confirmed that peptide KSL-W promoted fibroblast migration and contraction of a collagen gel matrix. We also demonstrated a high expression of α-smooth muscle actin by gingival fibroblasts being exposed to KSL-W. This work shows that peptide KSL-W enhances gingival fibroblast growth, migration, and metalloproteinase secretion, and the expression of α-smooth muscle actin, thus promoting wound healing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synthesis, characterization and inhibitory activities of (4-N3[3,5-3H]Phe10)PKI(6-22)amide and its precursors: photoaffinity labeling peptides for the active site of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase.

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, B M; Lundquist, L J; Walsh, D A; Glass, D B

1989-06-01

PKI(6-22)amide is a 17 residue peptide corresponding to the active portion of the heat-stable inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The peptide is a potent (Ki = 1.6 nM), competitive inhibitor of the enzyme. The photoreactive peptide analog (4-azidophenylalanine10)PKI(6-22)amide was synthesized in both its non-radiolabeled and tritiated forms by chemical modification of precursor peptides that were prepared by stepwise solid-phase synthesis. (4-Amino[3,5-3H]phenylalanine10)PKI(6-22)amide, the precursor for the radiolabeled arylazide peptide, was obtained by catalytic reduction of the corresponding peptide containing the 3,5-diiodo-4-aminophenylalanine residue at position 10. The purified PKI peptides were analyzed by HPLC, amino acid analysis, and u.v. spectra. In the dark, (4-azidophenylalanine10)PKI(6-22)amide inhibited the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase with a Ki value of 2.8 nM. The photoreactivity of the arylazide peptide was demonstrated by time-dependent u.v. spectral changes on exposure to light. Photolysis of the catalytic subunit (4-azido[3,5-3H]phenylalanine10)PKI(6-22)amide complex resulted in specific covalent labeling of the enzyme. The data indicate that this peptide is a useful photoaffinity labeling reagent for the active site of the protein kinase.

Studies on peptide amidase-catalysed C-terminal peptide amidation in organic media with respect to its substrate specificity

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Čeřovský, Václav; Kula, M. R.

2001-01-01

Roč. 33, - (2001), s. 183-187 ISSN 0885-4513 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/99/1458 Keywords : enzymic amidation * peptide amides * peptide synthesis Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 1.408, year: 2001

Commercial broth microdilution panel validation and reproducibility trials for NVP PDF-713 (LBM 415), a novel inhibitor of bacterial peptide deformylase.

Science.gov (United States)

Fritsche, T R; Moet, G J; Jones, R N

2004-09-01

NVP PDF-713 (LBM 415) is a peptide deformylase inhibitor being progressed into clinical trials. Dry-form broth microdilution panels of NVP PDF-713 were compared to reference MIC panels of 552 recent clinical isolates. Most (99.2%) dry-form MIC results were within +/- 1 log(2) dilution of the reference panel MICs. Of the bacteria tested, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae showed a bias towards higher and lower MICs, respectively. Same-day and between-day reproducibility tests showed that 98.9% and 96.7% of MIC values, respectively, were within +/- 1 log(2) dilution step, thereby demonstrating a high degree of reliability of the dry-form MIC product for clinical studies.

Rotavirus NSP4114-135 peptide has no direct, specific effect on chloride transport in rabbit brush-border membrane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasseur Monique

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract The direct effect of the rotavirus NSP4114-135 and Norovirus NV464-483 peptides on 36Cl uptake was studied by using villus cell brush border membrane (BBM isolated from young rabbits. Both peptides inhibited the Cl-/H+ symport activity about equally and partially. The interaction involved one peptide-binding site per carrier unit. Whereas in vitro NSP4114-135 caused nonspecific inhibition of the Cl-/H+ symporter, the situation in vivo is different. Because rotavirus infection in young rabbits accelerated both Cl- influx and Cl- efflux rates across villi BBM without stimulating Cl- transport in crypt BBM, we conclude that the NSP4114-135 peptide, which causes diarrhea in young rodents, did not have any direct, specific effect on either intestinal absorption or secretion of chloride. The lack of direct effect of NSP4 on chloride transport strengthens the hypothesis that NSP4 would trigger signal transduction pathways to enhance net chloride secretion at the onset of rotavirus diarrhea.

Ion-specific weak adsorption of salts and water/octanol transfer free energy of a model amphiphilic hexa-peptide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dejugnat, Ch.; Dufreche, J.F.; Zemb, Th.; Dejugnat, Ch.

2011-01-01

An amphiphilic hexa-peptide has been used as a model to quantify how specific ion effects induced by addition of four salts tune the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance and induce temperature-dependant coacervate formation from aqueous solution. The hexa-peptide chosen is present as a dimer with low transfer energy from water to octanol. Taking sodium chloride as the reference state in the Hofmeister scale, we identify water activity effects and therefore measure the free energy of transfer from water to octanol and separately the free energy associated to the adsorption of chaotropic ions or the desorption of kosmotropic ions for the same amphiphilic peptide. These effects have the same order of magnitude: therefore, both energies of solvation as well as transfer into octanol strongly depend on the nature of the electrolytes used to formulate any buffer. Model peptides could be used on separation processes based on criteria linked to 'Hofmeister' but different from volume and valency. (authors)

Casein Hydrolysates by Lactobacillus brevis and Lactococcus lactis Proteases: Peptide Profile Discriminates Strain-Dependent Enzyme Specificity.

Science.gov (United States)

Bounouala, Fatima Zohra; Roudj, Salima; Karam, Nour-Eddine; Recio, Isidra; Miralles, Beatriz

2017-10-25

Casein from ovine and bovine milk were hydrolyzed with two extracellular protease preparations from Lactobacillus brevis and Lactococcus lactis. The hydrolysates were analyzed by HPLC-MS/MS for peptide identification. A strain-dependent peptide profile could be observed, regardless of the casein origin, and the specificity of these two proteases could be computationally ascribed. The cleavage pattern yielding phenylalanine, leucine, or tyrosine at C-terminal appeared both at L. lactis and Lb. brevis hydrolysates. However, the cleavage C-terminal to lysine was favored with Lb. brevis protease. The hydrolysates showed ACE-inhibitory activity with IC 50 in the 16-70 μg/mL range. Ovine casein hydrolysates yielded greater ACE-inhibitory activity. Previously described antihypertensive and opioid peptides were found in these ovine and bovine casein hydrolysates and prediction of the antihypertensive activity of the sequences based on quantitative structure and activity relationship (QSAR) was performed. This approach might represent a useful classification tool regarding health-related properties prior to further purification.

Molecular Pathways for Immune Recognition of Preproinsulin Signal Peptide in Type 1 Diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kronenberg-Versteeg, Deborah; Eichmann, Martin; Russell, Mark A; de Ru, Arnoud; Hehn, Beate; Yusuf, Norkhairin; van Veelen, Peter A; Richardson, Sarah J; Morgan, Noel G; Lemberg, Marius K; Peakman, Mark

2018-04-01

The signal peptide region of preproinsulin (PPI) contains epitopes targeted by HLA-A-restricted (HLA-A0201, A2402) cytotoxic T cells as part of the pathogenesis of β-cell destruction in type 1 diabetes. We extended the discovery of the PPI epitope to disease-associated HLA-B*1801 and HLA-B*3906 (risk) and HLA-A*1101 and HLA-B*3801 (protective) alleles, revealing that four of six alleles present epitopes derived from the signal peptide region. During cotranslational translocation of PPI, its signal peptide is cleaved and retained within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, implying it is processed for immune recognition outside of the canonical proteasome-directed pathway. Using in vitro translocation assays with specific inhibitors and gene knockout in PPI-expressing target cells, we show that PPI signal peptide antigen processing requires signal peptide peptidase (SPP). The intramembrane protease SPP generates cytoplasm-proximal epitopes, which are transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP), ER-luminal epitopes, which are TAP independent, each presented by different HLA class I molecules and N-terminal trimmed by ER aminopeptidase 1 for optimal presentation. In vivo, TAP expression is significantly upregulated and correlated with HLA class I hyperexpression in insulin-containing islets of patients with type 1 diabetes. Thus, PPI signal peptide epitopes are processed by SPP and loaded for HLA-guided immune recognition via pathways that are enhanced during disease pathogenesis. © 2018 by the American Diabetes Association.

99mTc-UBI Biokinetics: A Specific Peptide for Infection Detection

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Cortés, J.; Meléndez-Alafort, L.; Herrera-Rodríguez, R.; Ferro-Flores, G.; Mitsoura, E.; Martínez-Duncker, C.

2003-09-01

Recently, antimicrobial peptides have been proposed as new agents to distinguish between bacterial infections and sterile inflammatory processes. Based on these considerations, Ubiquicidin peptide 29-41 (UBI) has been labeled with 99mTc using a new direct method showing a radiochemical purity > 97 %, high stability in human serum, and low protein binding. In addition 99mTc-UBI showed a specific in vitro and in vivo binding to bacteria. However its biokinetic parameters have not been evaluated since it is one of the new generation radiopharmaceuticals based on peptide structures. Therefore the aim of this project was to establish the biokinetic model for 99mTc-UBI. An activity from 74 to 148 MBq was injected to patients with bone infection and 5 whole body scans were taken at 1, 30, 120, 240 min and 24 h after radiopharmaceutical administration, with a dual head scanner. Urine was collected for 24 h. An antropomorphic phantom was previously used to calculate the effect of attenuation and scattered radiation on the gamma camera acquisition images. ROIs of the selected organs in patients (kidney, liver, heart, bone, soft tissue and lesion) were drawn, and attenuation and scatter corrected. The % urine elimination at 24 h and time integrated ROIs (cpm/pixel/ROIs) were used to obtain the residence time (τ) in each tissue and to establish the biokinetic model. Pharmacokinetic data show that blood clearance is biexponential with a mean residence time in the central compartment of 0.52 h. The images showed non-accumulation in metabolic organs. More than 75 % of the injected activity was eliminated by renal clearance 4 h after 99mTc-UBI administration. The mean radiation dose calculated according to the MIRD formalism was 0.130 mGy/MBq for kidney and the effective dose was 4.29 × 10-3 mSv/MBq.

Peptide Nucleic Acids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2004-01-01

A novel class of compounds known as peptide nucleic acids, bind complementary DNA and RNA strands, and generally do so more strongly than the corresponding DNA or RNA strands while exhibiting increased sequence specificity and solubility. The peptide nucleic acids comprise ligands selected from...

Improved proteolytic stability and potent activity against Leishmania infantum trypanothione reductase of α/β-peptide foldamers conjugated to cell-penetrating peptides.

Science.gov (United States)

de Lucio, Héctor; Gamo, Ana María; Ruiz-Santaquiteria, Marta; de Castro, Sonia; Sánchez-Murcia, Pedro A; Toro, Miguel A; Gutiérrez, Kilian Jesús; Gago, Federico; Jiménez-Ruiz, Antonio; Camarasa, María-José; Velázquez, Sonsoles

2017-11-10

The objective of the current study was to enhance the proteolytic stability of peptide-based inhibitors that target critical protein-protein interactions at the dimerization interface of Leishmania infantum trypanothione reductase (Li-TryR) using a backbone modification strategy. To achieve this goal we carried out the synthesis, proteolytic stability studies and biological evaluation of a small library of α/β 3 -peptide foldamers of different length (from 9-mers to 13-mers) and different α→β substitution patterns related to prototype linear α-peptides. We show that several 13-residue α/β 3 -peptide foldamers retain inhibitory potency against the enzyme (in both activity and dimerization assays) while they are far less susceptible to proteolytic degradation than an analogous α-peptide. The strong dependence of the binding affinities for Li-TryR on the length of the α,β-peptides is supported by theoretical calculations on conformational ensembles of the resulting complexes. The conjugation of the most proteolytically stable α/β-peptide with oligoarginines results in a molecule with potent activity against L. infantum promastigotes and amastigotes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Inhibitors of serotonin reuptake and specific imipramine binding in human blood plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brusov, O.S.; Fomenko, A.M.; Katasonov, A.B.; Lidemann, R.R.

1985-01-01

This paper describes a method of extraction of endogenous inhibitors of specific IMI binding and of 5-HT reuptake, from human blood plasma and the heterogeneity of these compounds is demonstrated. Specific binding was determined as the difference between binding of 3 H-IMI in the absence and in the presence of 50 microM IMI. Under these conditions, specific binding amounted to 70-80% of total binding of 3 H-IMI. It is shown that extract obtained from human blood contains a material which inhibits dose-dependently both 5-HT reuptake and specific binding of 3 H-IMI. Gel-chromatography of extracts of human blood plasma on Biogel P-2 is also shown

Highly selective enrichment of phosphorylated peptides from peptide mixtures using titanium dioxide microcolumns

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Martin Røssel; Thingholm, Tine E; Jensen, Ole N

2005-01-01

based on TiO2microcolumns and peptide loading in 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB). The effect of DHB was a very efficient reduction in the binding of nonphosphorylated peptides to TiO2 while retaining its high binding affinity for phosphorylated peptides. Thus, inclusion of DHB dramatically increased...... the selectivity of the enrichment of phosphorylated peptides by TiO2. We demonstrated that this new procedure was more selective for binding phosphorylated peptides than IMAC using MALDI mass spectrometry. In addition, we showed that LC-ESI-MSMS was biased toward monophosphorylated peptides, whereas MALDI MS...... was not. Other substituted aromatic carboxylic acids were also capable of specifically reducing binding of nonphosphorylated peptides, whereas phosphoric acid reduced binding of both phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated peptides. A putative mechanism for this intriguing effect is presented....

Tumor penetrating peptides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tambet eTeesalu

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Tumor-homing peptides can be used to deliver drugs into tumors. Phage library screening in live mice has recently identified homing peptides that specifically recognize the endothelium of tumor vessels, extravasate, and penetrate deep into the extravascular tumor tissue. The prototypic peptide of this class, iRGD (CRGDKGPDC, contains the integrin-binding RGD motif. RGD mediates tumor homing through binding to αv integrins, which are selectively expressed on various cells in tumors, including tumor endothelial cells. The tumor-penetrating properties of iRGD are mediated by a second sequence motif, R/KXXR/K. This C-end Rule (or CendR motif is active only when the second basic residue is exposed at the C-terminus of the peptide. Proteolytic processing of iRGD in tumors activates the cryptic CendR motif, which then binds to neuropilin-1 activating an endocytic bulk transport pathway through tumor tissue. Phage screening has also yielded tumor-penetrating peptides that function like iRGD in activating the CendR pathway, but bind to a different primary receptor. Moreover, novel tumor-homing peptides can be constructed from tumor-homing motifs, CendR elements and protease cleavage sites. Pathologies other than tumors can be targeted with tissue-penetrating peptides, and the primary receptor can also be a vascular zip code of a normal tissue. The CendR technology provides a solution to a major problem in tumor therapy, poor penetration of drugs into tumors. The tumor-penetrating peptides are capable of taking a payload deep into tumor tissue in mice, and they also penetrate into human tumors ex vivo. Targeting with these peptides specifically increases the accumulation in tumors of a variety of drugs and contrast agents, such as doxorubicin, antibodies and nanoparticle-based compounds. Remarkably the drug to be targeted does not have to be coupled to the peptide; the bulk transport system activated by the peptide sweeps along any compound that is

Snake venom serine proteinases specificity mapping by proteomic identification of cleavage sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Zelanis, André; Huesgen, Pitter F; Oliveira, Ana Karina; Tashima, Alexandre K; Serrano, Solange M T; Overall, Christopher M

2015-01-15

Many snake venom toxins are serine proteases but their specific in vivo targets are mostly unknown. Various act on components of the coagulation cascade, and fibrinolytic and kallikrein-kinin systems to trigger various pathological effects observed in the envenomation. Despite showing high similarity in terms of primary structure snake venom serine proteinases (SVSPs) show exquisite specificity towards macromolecular substrates. Therefore, the characterization of their peptide bond specificity is important for understanding the active site preference associated with effective proteolysis as well as for the design of peptide substrates and inhibitors. Bothrops jararaca contains various SVSPs among which Bothrops protease A is a specific fibrinogenolytic agent and PA-BJ is a platelet-activating enzyme. In this study we used proteome derived peptide libraries in the Proteomic Identification of protease Cleavage Sites (PICS) approach to explore the peptide bond specificity of Bothrops protease A and PA-BJ in order to determine their individual peptide cleavage sequences. A total of 371 cleavage sites (208 for Bothrops protease A and 163 for PA-BJ) were detected and both proteinases displayed a clear preference for arginine at the P1 position. Moreover, the analysis of the specificity profiles of Bothrops protease A and PA-BJ revealed subtle differences in the preferences along P6-P6', despite a common yet unusual preference for Pro at P2. Taken together, these results map the subsite specificity of both SVSPs and shed light in the functional differences between these proteinases. Proteolysis is key to various pathological effects observed upon envenomation by viperid snakes. The use of the Proteomic Identification of protease Cleavage Sites (PICS) approach for the easy mapping of proteinase subsite preferences at both the prime- and non-prime sides concurrently gives rise to a fresh understanding of the interaction of the snake venom serine proteinases with peptide and

Peptide ligands for targeting the extracellular domain of EGFR: Comparison between linear and cyclic peptides.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Tyrslai M; Sable, Rushikesh; Singh, Sitanshu; Vicente, Maria Graca H; Jois, Seetharama D

2018-02-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common solid internal malignancy among cancers. Early detection of cancer is key to increasing the survival rate of colorectal cancer patients. Overexpression of the EGFR protein is associated with CRC. We have designed a series of peptides that are highly specific for the extracellular domain of EGFR, based on our earlier studies on linear peptides. The previously reported linear peptide LARLLT, known to bind to EGFR, was modified with the goals of increasing its stability and its specificity toward EGFR. Peptide modifications, including D-amino acid substitution, cyclization, and chain reversal, were investigated. In addition, to facilitate labeling of the peptide with a fluorescent dye, an additional lysine residue was introduced onto the linear (KLARLLT) and cyclic peptides cyclo(KLARLLT) (Cyclo.L1). The lysine residue was also converted into an azide group in both a linear and reversed cyclic peptide sequences cyclo(K(N3)larllt) (Cyclo.L1.1) to allow for subsequent "click" conjugation. The cyclic peptides showed enhanced binding to EGFR by SPR. NMR and molecular modeling studies suggest that the peptides acquire a β-turn structure in solution. In vitro stability studies in human serum show that the cyclic peptide is more stable than the linear peptide. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

New active analogues of Cucurbita maxima trypsin inhibitor III (CMTI-III) modified in the non-contact region.

Science.gov (United States)

Rózycki, J; Kupryszewski, G; Rolka, K; Ragnarsson, U; Zbyryt, T; Krokoszyńska, I; Wilusz, T

1994-01-01

Four new analogues of trypsin inhibitor CMTI-III(3-28) = [desArg1,desVal2,desGly29]CMTI-III which was recently shown to be fully active, were synthesized by the solid-phase method. The introduction of glycine in position 9 (peptide 1) and Gly-Pro-Gly (peptide 2) and Gly-Pro-Asn (peptide 3) in the regions 17-19 and 23-25, respectively, did not change the antitrypsin activity of all modified peptides. All of these substitutions are presumed to be outside the trypsin-binding loop as judged from the X-ray structure of the complex between beta-trypsin and the related inhibitor CMTI-I. Also the fourth analogue which was substituted in all the positions mentioned, exhibited the full activity.

Clathrin-dependent internalization, signaling, and metabolic processing of guanylyl cyclase/natriuretic peptide receptor-A.

Science.gov (United States)

Somanna, Naveen K; Mani, Indra; Tripathi, Satyabha; Pandey, Kailash N

2018-04-01

Cardiac hormones, atrial and brain natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP), have pivotal roles in renal hemodynamics, neuroendocrine signaling, blood pressure regulation, and cardiovascular homeostasis. Binding of ANP and BNP to the guanylyl cyclase/natriuretic peptide receptor-A (GC-A/NPRA) induces rapid internalization and trafficking of the receptor via endolysosomal compartments, with concurrent generation of cGMP. However, the mechanisms of the endocytotic processes of NPRA are not well understood. The present study, using 125 I-ANP binding assay and confocal microscopy, examined the function of dynamin in the internalization of NPRA in stably transfected human embryonic kidney-293 (HEK-293) cells. Treatment of recombinant HEK-293 cells with ANP time-dependently accelerated the internalization of receptor from the cell surface to the cell interior. However, the internalization of ligand-receptor complexes of NPRA was drastically decreased by the specific inhibitors of clathrin- and dynamin-dependent receptor internalization, almost 85% by monodansylcadaverine, 80% by chlorpromazine, and 90% by mutant dynamin, which are specific blockers of endocytic vesicle formation. Visualizing the internalization of NPRA and enhanced GFP-tagged NPRA in HEK-293 cells by confocal microscopy demonstrated the formation of endocytic vesicles after 5 min of ANP treatment; this effect was blocked by the inhibitors of clathrin and by mutant dynamin construct. Our results suggest that NPRA undergoes internalization via clathrin-mediated endocytosis as part of its normal itinerary, including trafficking, signaling, and metabolic degradation.

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors: a promising new therapeutic approach for the management of type 2 diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deacon, Carolyn F; Holst, Jens J

2005-01-01

of appetite. Glucagon-like peptide-1 is, however, extremely rapidly inactivated by the serine peptidase, dipeptidyl peptidase IV, so that the native peptide is not useful clinically. A new approach to utilise the beneficial effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 in the treatment of type 2 diabetes has been...... the development of orally active dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that this approach is effective in enhancing endogenous levels of glucagon-like peptide-1, resulting in improved glucose tolerance in glucose-intolerant and diabetic animal models. In recent studies of 3......-12 months duration in patients with type 2 diabetes, dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors have proved efficacious, both as monotherapy and when given in combination with metformin. Fasting and postprandial glucose concentrations were reduced, leading to reductions in glycosylated haemoglobin levels, while...

Investigation of the substrate specificity of the proton coupled peptide transporter PepT_So from Shewanella oneidensis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prabhala, Bala Krishna; Aduri, Nanda Gowtham; Hald, Helle

2015-01-01

a strikingly high sequence identity, can be used to rationalize its mechanism and substrate preference. However, very little is known about the substrate specificity of PepTSo. To elaborate on this, the natural peptide specificity of PepTSo was investigated. Di and tri-peptides were found to be substrates...... for PepTSo in contrast to mono- and tetrapeptides as was indicated by previous competition studies. Interestingly, a negatively charged side chain was better accommodated on the dipeptide N- than the C-terminus position. Inversely, a positive charged side chain appeared to be tolerated better...

Clinical-grade generation of peptide-stimulated CMV/EBV-specific T cells from G-CSF mobilized stem cell grafts.

Science.gov (United States)

Gary, Regina; Aigner, Michael; Moi, Stephanie; Schaffer, Stefanie; Gottmann, Anja; Maas, Stefanie; Zimmermann, Robert; Zingsem, Jürgen; Strobel, Julian; Mackensen, Andreas; Mautner, Josef; Moosmann, Andreas; Gerbitz, Armin

2018-05-09

A major complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aSCT) is the reactivation of herpesviruses such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Both viruses cause significant mortality and compromise quality of life after aSCT. Preventive transfer of virus-specific T cells can suppress reactivation by re-establishing functional antiviral immune responses in immunocompromised hosts. We have developed a good manufacturing practice protocol to generate CMV/EBV-peptide-stimulated T cells from leukapheresis products of G-CSF mobilized and non-mobilized donors. Our procedure selectively expands virus-specific CD8+ und CD4+ T cells over 9 days using a generic pool of 34 CMV and EBV peptides that represent well-defined dominant T-cell epitopes with various HLA restrictions. For HLA class I, this set of peptides covers at least 80% of the European population. CMV/EBV-specific T cells were successfully expanded from leukapheresis material of both G-CSF mobilized and non-mobilized donors. The protocol allows administration shortly after stem cell transplantation (d30+), storage over liquid nitrogen for iterated applications, and protection of the stem cell donor by avoiding a second leukapheresis. Our protocol allows for rapid and cost-efficient production of T cells for early transfusion after aSCT as a preventive approach. It is currently evaluated in a phase I/IIa clinical trial.

SGLT2 inhibitors or GLP-1 receptor agonists as second-line therapy in type 2 diabetes: patient selection and perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gurgle HE

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Holly E Gurgle, Karen White, Carrie McAdam-Marx Department of Pharmacotherapy, University of Utah College of Pharmacy, Salt Lake City, UT, USA Abstract: Controversy exists regarding the selection of second-line therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM who are unable to achieve glycemic control with metformin therapy alone. Newer pharmacologic treatments for T2DM include glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors. Both the classes of medication are efficacious, exhibit positive effects on weight, and are associated with minimal risk of hypoglycemia. The purpose of this review is to compare the clinical trial and real-world effectiveness data of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists versus sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors related to A1c reduction, weight loss, cost-effectiveness, cardiovascular outcomes, and safety in patients with T2DM. This review summarizes comparative evidence for providers who are determining which of the two classes may be the most appropriate for a specific patient. Keywords: type 2 diabetes mellitus, GLP-1 receptor agonist, SGLT2 inhibitor, A1c, weight loss, adverse effect

Perspective of Use of Antiviral Peptides against Influenza Virus

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Sylvie Skalickova

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The threat of a worldwide influenza pandemic has greatly increased over the past decade with the emergence of highly virulent avian influenza strains. The increased frequency of drug-resistant influenza strains against currently available antiviral drugs requires urgent development of new strategies for antiviral therapy, too. The research in the field of therapeutic peptides began to develop extensively in the second half of the 20th century. Since then, the mechanisms of action for several peptides and their antiviral prospect received large attention due to the global threat posed by viruses. Here, we discussed the therapeutic properties of peptides used in influenza treatment. Peptides with antiviral activity against influenza can be divided into three main groups. First, entry blocker peptides such as a Flupep that interact with influenza hemagglutinin, block its binding to host cells and prevent viral fusion. Second, several peptides display virucidal activity, disrupting viral envelopes, e.g., Melittin. Finally, a third set of peptides interacts with the viral polymerase complex and act as viral replication inhibitors such as PB1 derived peptides. Here, we present a review of the current literature describing the antiviral activity, mechanism and future therapeutic potential of these influenza antiviral peptides.

Nucleotide sequence of a cDNA coding for the barley seed protein CMa: an inhibitor of insect α-amylase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Søren Kjærsgård; Johansson, A.

1992-01-01

The primary structure of the insect alpha-amylase inhibitor CMa of barley seeds was deduced from a full-length cDNA clone pc43F6. Analysis of RNA from barley endosperm shows high levels 15 and 20 days after flowering. The cDNA predicts an amino acid sequence of 119 residues preceded by a signal...... peptide of 25 amino acids. Ala and Leu account for 55% of the signal peptide. CMa is 60-85% identical with alpha-amylase inhibitors of wheat, but shows less than 50% identity to trypsin inhibitors of barley and wheat. The 10 Cys residues are located in identical positions compared to the cereal inhibitor...

Co-evolution of insect proteases and plant protease inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jongsma, Maarten A; Beekwilder, Jules

2011-08-01

Plants are at the basis of the food chain, but there is no such thing as a "free lunch" for herbivores. To promote reproductive success, plants evolved multi-layered defensive tactics to avoid or discourage herbivory. To the detriment of plants, herbivores, in turn, evolved intricate strategies to find, eat, and successfully digest essential plant parts to raise their own offspring. In this battle the digestive tract is the arena determining final victory or defeat as measured by growth or starvation of the herbivore. Earlier, specific molecular opponents were identified as proteases and inhibitors: digestive proteases of herbivores evolved structural motifs to occlude plant protease inhibitors, or alternatively, the insects evolved proteases capable of specifically degrading the host plant inhibitors. In response plant inhibitors evolved hyper-variable and novel protein folds to remain active against potential herbivores. At the level of protease regulation in herbivorous insects, it was shown that inhibition-insensitive digestive proteases are up-regulated when sensitive proteases are inhibited. The way this regulation operates in mammals is known as negative feedback by gut-luminal factors, so-called 'monitor peptides' that are sensitive to the concentration of active enzymes. We propose that regulation of gut enzymes by endogenous luminal factors has been an open invitation to plants to "hijack" this regulation by evolving receptor antagonists, although yet these plant factors have not been identified. In future research the question of the co-evolution of insect proteases and plant inhibitors should, therefore, be better approached from a systems level keeping in mind that evolution is fundamentally opportunistic and that the plant's fitness is primarily improved by lowering the availability of essential amino acids to an herbivore by any available mechanism.

Preferential Selectivity of Inhibitors with Human Tau Protein Kinase Gsk3 Elucidates Their Potential Roles for Off-Target Alzheimer’s Therapy

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Jagadeesh Kumar Dasappa

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Alzheimer’s disease (AD is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of amyloid beta peptides (A and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs. The abnormal phosphorylation of tau leads to the formation of NFTs produced by the action of tau kinases, resulting in the loss of neurons and synapse, leading to dementia. Hence, tau kinases have become potential drug target candidates for small molecule inhibitors. With an aim to explore the identification of a common inhibitor, this investigation was undertaken towards analyzing all 10 tau kinases which are implicated in phosphorylation of AD. A set of 7 inhibitors with varied scaffolds were collected from the Protein Data Bank (PDB. The analysis, involving multiple sequence alignment, 3D structural alignment, catalytic active site overlap, and docking studies, has enabled elucidation of the pharmacophoric patterns for the class of 7 inhibitors. Our results divulge that tau protein kinases share a specific set of conserved structural elements for the binding of inhibitors and ATP, respectively. The scaffold of 3-aminopyrrolidine (inhibitor 6 exhibits high preferential affinity with GSK3. Surprisingly, the PDB does not contain the structural details of GSK3 with this specific inhibitor. Thus, our investigations provide vital clues towards design of novel off-target drugs for Alzheimer’s.

Pharmacological and safety evaluation of CIGB-300, a casein kinase 2 inhibitor peptide, administered intralesionally to patients with cervical cancer stage IB2/II

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Soriano-García JL

2013-08-01

Full Text Available CIGB-300 is a pro-apoptotic casein kinase 2 inhibitor peptide with potential anticancer action. An open-label and dose scaling Phase I trial was carried out to investigate the peptide tumor uptake, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and levels of a CIGB-300 response biomarker in patients with cervical cancer stage IB2/II. Fourteen patients were included; six of them received 35 mg, 6 received 70 mg and the two remaining patients received 245 mg of CIGB-300 prior chemoradiotherapy. CIGB-300 was applied by intratumor injections during 5-consecutive days. For pharmacokinetic and biodistribution studies, the peptide was radiolabeled with 99mTc in the first administration and whole body gammagraphy and plasma testing were done during 48 h. Data showed that the maximum tolerated dose was 70 mg for CIGB-300 in this clinical setting. Furthermore, an allergic-like syndrome was identified as the dose limiting toxicity, which was well-correlated with plasmatic histamine levels. Importantly, the mean tumor uptake was 14.9 mg and 10.4 mg for CIGB-300 doses of 35 and 70 mg, respectively. Also, the kidneys were the main target organ for drug elimination. Finally, treatment with CIGB-300 significantly reduced the B23/nucleophosmin levels in tumor specimens. CIGB-300 meets potentialities to be tested in future trials in a neoadjuvant setting prior to chemoradiotherapy in cervical cancer.

Large-scale detection of antigen-specific T cells using peptide-MHC-I multimers labeled with DNA barcodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bentzen, Amalie Kai; Marquard, Andrea Marion; Lyngaa, Rikke Birgitte

2016-01-01

-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) multimers labeled with individual DNA barcodes to screen >1,000 peptide specificities in a single sample, and detect low-frequency CD8 T cells specific for virus- or cancer-restricted antigens. When analyzing T-cell recognition of shared melanoma antigens before and after adoptive...... cell therapy in melanoma patients, we observe a greater number of melanoma-specific T-cell populations compared with cytometry-based approaches. Furthermore, we detect neoepitope-specific T cells in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and peripheral blood from patients with non-small cell lung cancer...

Isozyme-specific fluorescent inhibitor of glutathione s-transferase omega 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Junghyun; Lee, Jae-Jung; Lee, Jun-Seok; Schüller, Andreas; Chang, Young-Tae

2010-05-21

Recently, the glutathione S-transferase omega 1 (GSTO1) is suspected to be involved in certain cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. However, profound investigation on the pathological roles of GSTO1 has been hampered by the lack of specific methods to determine or modulate its activity in biological systems containing other isoforms with similar catalytic function. Here, we report a fluorescent compound that is able to inhibit and monitor the activity of GSTO1. We screened 43 fluorescent chemicals and found a compound (6) that binds specifically to the active site of GSTO1. We observed that compound 6 inhibits GSTO1 by covalent modification but spares other isoforms in HEK293 cells and demonstrated that compound 6 could report the activity of GSTO1 in NIH/3T3 or HEK293 cells by measuring the fluorescence intensity of the labeled amount of GSTO1 in SDS-PAGE. Compound 6 is a useful tool to study GSTO1, applicable as a specific inhibitor and an activity reporter.

Inhibitory mechanism of peptides and antibodies targeting murine urokinase-type plasminogen activator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Zhuo

2012-01-01

drugs, a detailed mechanistic understanding must be obtained. One peptide and two antibodies were studied in this thesis. First, an engineered cyclic peptide, mupain-1-16 with an unnatural amino acid in the P1 position and the sequence CPAYS[L-3-(N-Amidino-4-piperidyl)alanine]YLDC was investigated...... different conformational and inhibitory mechanisms both in vivo and in vitro. Their similar epitopes, but different functions revealed two different allosteric regulation mechanisms for antibodies binding to serine proteases. Both the peptidic inhibitors and the allosteric mechanisms of uPA are believed...

Histone peptide AKRHRK enhances H2O2-induced DNA damage and alters its site specificity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Midorikawa, Kaoru; Murata, Mariko; Kawanishi, Shosuke

2005-01-01

Histone proteins are involved in compaction of DNA and the protection of cells from oxygen toxicity. However, several studies have demonstrated that the metal-binding histone reacts with H 2 O 2 , leading to oxidative damage to a nucleobase. We investigated whether histone can accelerate oxidative DNA damage, using a minimal model for the N-terminal tail of histone H4, CH 3 CO-AKRHRK-CONH 2 , which has a metal-binding site. This histone peptide enhanced DNA damage induced by H 2 O 2 and Cu(II), especially at cytosine residues, and induced additional DNA cleavage at the 5'-guanine of GGG sequences. The peptide also enhanced the formation of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine and ESR spin-trapping signal from H 2 O 2 and Cu(II). Cyclic redox reactions involving histone-bound Cu(II) and H 2 O 2 , may give rise to multiple production of radicals leading to multiple hits in DNA. It is noteworthy that the histone H4 peptide with specific sequence AKRHRK can cause DNA damage rather than protection under metal-overloaded condition

Peptide Vaccines for Leishmaniasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rory C. F. De Brito

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Due to an increase in the incidence of leishmaniases worldwide, the development of new strategies such as prophylactic vaccines to prevent infection and decrease the disease have become a high priority. Classic vaccines against leishmaniases were based on live or attenuated parasites or their subunits. Nevertheless, the use of whole parasite or their subunits for vaccine production has numerous disadvantages. Therefore, the use of Leishmania peptides to design more specific vaccines against leishmaniases seems promising. Moreover, peptides have several benefits in comparison with other kinds of antigens, for instance, good stability, absence of potentially damaging materials, antigen low complexity, and low-cost to scale up. By contrast, peptides are poor immunogenic alone, and they need to be delivered correctly. In this context, several approaches described in this review are useful to solve these drawbacks. Approaches, such as, peptides in combination with potent adjuvants, cellular vaccinations, adenovirus, polyepitopes, or DNA vaccines have been used to develop peptide-based vaccines. Recent advancements in peptide vaccine design, chimeric, or polypeptide vaccines and nanovaccines based on particles attached or formulated with antigenic components or peptides have been increasingly employed to drive a specific immune response. In this review, we briefly summarize the old, current, and future stands on peptide-based vaccines, describing the disadvantages and benefits associated with them. We also propose possible approaches to overcome the related weaknesses of synthetic vaccines and suggest future guidelines for their development.

Peptide Vaccines for Leishmaniasis.

Science.gov (United States)

De Brito, Rory C F; Cardoso, Jamille M De O; Reis, Levi E S; Vieira, Joao F; Mathias, Fernando A S; Roatt, Bruno M; Aguiar-Soares, Rodrigo Dian D O; Ruiz, Jeronimo C; Resende, Daniela de M; Reis, Alexandre B

2018-01-01

Due to an increase in the incidence of leishmaniases worldwide, the development of new strategies such as prophylactic vaccines to prevent infection and decrease the disease have become a high priority. Classic vaccines against leishmaniases were based on live or attenuated parasites or their subunits. Nevertheless, the use of whole parasite or their subunits for vaccine production has numerous disadvantages. Therefore, the use of Leishmania peptides to design more specific vaccines against leishmaniases seems promising. Moreover, peptides have several benefits in comparison with other kinds of antigens, for instance, good stability, absence of potentially damaging materials, antigen low complexity, and low-cost to scale up. By contrast, peptides are poor immunogenic alone, and they need to be delivered correctly. In this context, several approaches described in this review are useful to solve these drawbacks. Approaches, such as, peptides in combination with potent adjuvants, cellular vaccinations, adenovirus, polyepitopes, or DNA vaccines have been used to develop peptide-based vaccines. Recent advancements in peptide vaccine design, chimeric, or polypeptide vaccines and nanovaccines based on particles attached or formulated with antigenic components or peptides have been increasingly employed to drive a specific immune response. In this review, we briefly summarize the old, current, and future stands on peptide-based vaccines, describing the disadvantages and benefits associated with them. We also propose possible approaches to overcome the related weaknesses of synthetic vaccines and suggest future guidelines for their development.

Isolation and characterization of a specific endogenous Na+, K+-ATPase inhibitor from bovine adrenal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamura, M.; Lam, T.T.; Inagami, T.

1988-01-01

In order to identify a specific endogenous Na + ,K + -ATPase inhibitor which could possibly be related to salt-dependent hypertension, the authors looked for substances in the methanol extract of bovine whole adrenal which show all of the following properties: (i) inhibitory activity for Na + ,K + -ATPase; (ii) competitive displacing activity against [ 3 H]ouabain binding to the enzyme; (iii) inhibitory activity for 86 Rb uptake into intact human erythrocytes; and (iv) cross-reactivity with sheep anti-digoxin-specific antibody. After stepwise fractionation of the methanol extract of bovine adrenal glands by chromatography on a C 18 open column, a 0-15% acetonitrile fraction was fractionated by high-performance liquid chromatography on a Zorbax octadecylsilane column. One of the most active fractions in 0-15% acetonitrile was found to exhibit all of the four types of the activities. It was soluble in water and was distinct from various substances which have been known to inhibit Na + ,K + -ATPase. These results strongly suggest that this water-soluble nonpeptidic Na + ,K + -ATPase inhibitor may be a specific endogenous regulator for the ATPase

Biopanning and characterization of peptides with Fe3O4 nanoparticles-binding capability via phage display random peptide library technique.

Science.gov (United States)

You, Fei; Yin, Guangfu; Pu, Ximing; Li, Yucan; Hu, Yang; Huang, Zhongbin; Liao, Xiaoming; Yao, Yadong; Chen, Xianchun

2016-05-01

Functionalization of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) play an important role in biomedical applications. A proper functionalization of NPs can improve biocompatibility, avoid a loss of bioactivity, and further endow NPs with unique performances. Modification with vairous specific binding biomolecules from random biological libraries has been explored. In this work, two 7-mer peptides with sequences of HYIDFRW and TVNFKLY were selected from a phage display random peptide library by using ferromagnetic NPs as targets, and were verified to display strong binding affinity to Fe3O4 NPs. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, fluorescence microscopy, thermal analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the presence of peptides on the surface of Fe3O4 NPs. Sequence analyses revealed that the probable binding mechanism between the peptide and Fe3O4 NPs might be driven by Pearson hard acid-hard base specific interaction and hydrogen bonds, accompanied with hydrophilic interactions and non-specific electrostatic attractions. The cell viability assay indicated a good cytocompatibility of peptide-bound Fe3O4 NPs. Furthermore, TVNFKLY peptide and an ovarian tumor cell A2780 specific binding peptide (QQTNWSL) were conjugated to afford a liner 14-mer peptide (QQTNWSLTVNFKLY). The binding and targeting studies showed that 14-mer peptide was able to retain both the strong binding ability to Fe3O4 NPs and the specific binding ability to A2780 cells. The results suggested that the Fe3O4-binding peptides would be of great potential in the functionalization of Fe3O4 NPs for the tumor-targeted drug delivery and magnetic hyperthermia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthetic strategy for bicyclic tetrapeptides HDAC inhibitors using ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Cyclic peptides show diverse biological activities and are considered as good therapeutic agents due to structural rigidity, receptor selectivity and biochemical stability. We have developed bicyclic tetrapeptide HDAC inhibitors based on different cyclic tetrapeptide scaffolds. For the synthesis of these bicyclic tetrapeptides, ...

A novel CXCR4-targeted near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe (Peptide R-NIR750) specifically detects CXCR4 expressing tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Santagata, Sara; Portella, Luigi; Napolitano, Maria; Greco, Adelaide; D'Alterio, Crescenzo; Barone, Maria Vittoria; Luciano, Antonio; Gramanzini, Matteo; Auletta, Luigi; Arra, Claudio; Zannetti, Antonella; Scala, Stefania

2017-05-31

C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) is over-expressed in multiple human cancers and correlates with tumor aggressiveness, poor prognosis and increased risk for distant metastases. Imaging agents for CXCR4 are thus highly desirable. We developed a novel CXCR4-targeted near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe (Peptide R-NIR750) conjugating the new developed CXCR4 peptidic antagonist Peptide R with the NIR fluorescent dye VivoTag-S750. Specific CXCR4 binding was obtained in cells overexpressing human CXCR4 (B16-hCXCR4 and human melanoma cells PES43), but not in CXCR4 low expressing cells (FB-1). Ex vivo evaluation demonstrated that PepR-NIR750 specifically detects B16-hCXCR4-derived subcutaneous tumors and lung metastases. Fluorescence Molecular Tomography (FMT) in vivo imaging was performed on mice carrying subcutaneous CHO and CHO-CXCR4 tumors. PepR-NIR750 accumulates only in CXCR4-positive expressing subcutaneous tumors. Additionally, an intense NIR fluorescence signal was detected in PES43-derived lung metastases of nude mice injected with PepR-NIR750 versus mice injected with VivoTag-S750. With a therapeutic intent, mice bearing PES43-derived lung metastases were treated with Peptide R. A the dramatic reduction in PES43-derived lung metastases was detected through a decrease of the PepR-NIR750 signal. PepR-NIR750 is a specific probe for non-invasive detection of human high CXCR4-expressing tumors and metastatic lesion and thus a valuable tool for cancer molecular imaging.

Chimeric peptide-mediated siRNA transduction to inhibit HIV-1 infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Bivalkar-Mehla, Shalmali; Mehla, Rajeev; Chauhan, Ashok

2017-04-01

Persistent human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) infection provokes immune activation and depletes CD4 +  lymphocytes, leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Uninterrupted administration of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) in HIV-infected patients suppresses viral replication to below the detectable level and partially restores the immune system. However, cART-unresponsive residual HIV-1 infection and elusive transcriptionally silent but reactivatable viral reservoirs maintain a permanent viral DNA blue print. The virus rebounds within a few weeks after interruption of suppressive therapy. Adjunct gene therapy to control viral replication by ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) is a post-transcriptional gene silencing strategy that could suppress residual HIV-1 burden and overcome viral resistance. Small interfering ribonucleic acids (siRNAs) are efficient transcriptional inhibitors, but need delivery systems to reach inside target cells. We investigated the potential of chimeric peptide (FP-PTD) to deliver specific siRNAs to HIV-1-susceptible and permissive cells. Chimeric FP-PTD peptide was designed with an RNA binding domain (PTD) to bind siRNA and a cell fusion peptide domain (FP) to enter cells. FP-PTD-siRNA complex entered and inhibited HIV-1 replication in susceptible cells, and could be a candidate for in vivo testing.

The preparation and characterization of peptide's lung cancer imaging agent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Jianfeng; Chu Liping; Wang Yan; Wang Yueying; Liu Jinjian; Wu Hongying

2010-01-01

Objective: To screen in vivo lung cancer specific binding seven peptides by T7 phage display peptide library, so as to prepare peptide's lung cancer early diagnostic agent. Methods: Use phage display in vivo technology, the 7-peptide phage that binding the lung cancer specifically was obtained, then the DNA sequence was measured and the seven peptide was synthesized. After labeled by 125 I, the seven peptide was injected into mice via vein and the distribution was observed. Results: One peptide was obtained by four rounds screening, and the peptide can bind lung cancer tissue specifically. Two hours after injection get the best imaging of lung cancer, metabolism of peptide in mice is fast, the distribution in vivo is decrease six hours and almost disappear 20 hours after injection. Conclusion: The peptide can image and diagnose lung cancer better. (authors)

Potent and Selective Peptide-based Inhibition of the G Protein Gαq*

Science.gov (United States)

Charpentier, Thomas H.; Waldo, Gary L.; Lowery-Gionta, Emily G.; Krajewski, Krzysztof; Strahl, Brian D.; Kash, Thomas L.; Harden, T. Kendall; Sondek, John

2016-01-01

In contrast to G protein-coupled receptors, for which chemical and peptidic inhibitors have been extensively explored, few compounds are available that directly modulate heterotrimeric G proteins. Active Gαq binds its two major classes of effectors, the phospholipase C (PLC)-β isozymes and Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs) related to Trio, in a strikingly similar fashion: a continuous helix-turn-helix of the effectors engages Gαq within its canonical binding site consisting of a groove formed between switch II and helix α3. This information was exploited to synthesize peptides that bound active Gαq in vitro with affinities similar to full-length effectors and directly competed with effectors for engagement of Gαq. A representative peptide was specific for active Gαq because it did not bind inactive Gαq or other classes of active Gα subunits and did not inhibit the activation of PLC-β3 by Gβ1γ2. In contrast, the peptide robustly prevented activation of PLC-β3 or p63RhoGEF by Gαq; it also prevented G protein-coupled receptor-promoted neuronal depolarization downstream of Gαq in the mouse prefrontal cortex. Moreover, a genetically encoded form of this peptide flanked by fluorescent proteins inhibited Gαq-dependent activation of PLC-β3 at least as effectively as a dominant-negative form of full-length PLC-β3. These attributes suggest that related, cell-penetrating peptides should effectively inhibit active Gαq in cells and that these and genetically encoded sequences may find application as molecular probes, drug leads, and biosensors to monitor the spatiotemporal activation of Gαq in cells. PMID:27742837

Peptide microarray analysis of substrate specificity of the transmembrane Ser/Thr kinase KPI-2 reveals reactivity with cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator and phosphorylase.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hong; Brautigan, David L

2006-11-01

Human lemur (Lmr) kinases are predicted to be Tyr kinases based on sequences and are related to neurotrophin receptor Trk kinases. This study used homogeneous recombinant KPI-2 (Lmr2, LMTK2, Cprk, brain-enriched protein kinase) kinase domain and a library of 1,154 peptides on a microarray to analyze substrate specificity. We found that KPI-2 is strictly a Ser/Thr kinase that reacts with Ser either preceded by or followed by Pro residues but unlike other Pro-directed kinases does not strictly require an adjacent Pro residue. The most reactive peptide in the library corresponds to Ser-737 of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, and the recombinant R domain of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator was a preferred substrate. Furthermore the KPI-2 kinase phosphorylated peptides corresponding to the single site in phosphorylase and purified phosphorylase b, making this only the second known phosphorylase b kinase. Phosphorylase was used as a specific substrate to show that KPI-2 is inhibited in living cells by addition of nerve growth factor or serum. The results demonstrate the utility of the peptide library to probe specificity and discover kinase substrates and offer a specific assay that reveals hormonal regulation of the activity of this unusual transmembrane kinase.

Conjugates of Cell Adhesion Peptides for Therapeutics and Diagnostics Against Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Moral, Mario E G; Siahaan, Teruna J

2017-01-01

Overexpressed cell-surface receptors are hallmarks of many disease states and are often used as markers for targeting diseased cells over healthy counterparts. Cell adhesion peptides, which are often derived from interacting regions of these receptor-ligand proteins, mimic surfaces of intact proteins and, thus, have been studied as targeting agents for various payloads to certain cell targets for cancers and autoimmune diseases. Because many cytotoxic agents in the free form are often harmful to healthy cells, the use of cell adhesion peptides in targeting their delivery to diseased cells has been studied to potentially reduce required effective doses and associated harmful side-effects. In this review, multiple cell adhesion peptides from extracellular matrix and ICAM proteins were used to selectively direct drug payloads, signal-inhibitor peptides, and diagnostic molecules, to diseased cells over normal counterparts. RGD constructs have been used to improve the selectivity and efficacy of diagnostic and drug-peptide conjugates against cancer cells. From this precedent, novel conjugates of antigenic and cell adhesion peptides, called Bifunctional Peptide Inhibitors (BPIs), have been designed to selectively regulate immune cells and suppress harmful inflammatory responses in autoimmune diseases. Similar peptide conjugations with imaging agents have delivered promising diagnostic methods in animal models of rheumatoid arthritis. BPIs have also been shown to generate immune tolerance and suppress autoimmune diseases in animal models of type-1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Collectively, these studies show the potential of cell adhesion peptides in improving the delivery of drugs and diagnostic agents to diseased cells in clinical settings. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Simultaneous inhibition of key growth pathways in melanoma cells and tumor regression by a designed bidentate constrained helical peptide.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhar, Amlanjyoti; Mallick, Shampa; Ghosh, Piya; Maiti, Atanu; Ahmed, Israr; Bhattacharya, Seemana; Mandal, Tapashi; Manna, Asit; Roy, Koushik; Singh, Sandeep; Nayak, Dipak Kumar; Wilder, Paul T; Markowitz, Joseph; Weber, David; Ghosh, Mrinal K; Chattopadhyay, Samit; Guha, Rajdeep; Konar, Aditya; Bandyopadhyay, Santu; Roy, Siddhartha

2014-07-01

Protein-protein interactions are part of a large number of signaling networks and potential targets for drug development. However, discovering molecules that can specifically inhibit such interactions is a major challenge. S100B, a calcium-regulated protein, plays a crucial role in the proliferation of melanoma cells through protein-protein interactions. In this article, we report the design and development of a bidentate conformationally constrained peptide against dimeric S100B based on a natural tight-binding peptide, TRTK-12. The helical conformation of the peptide was constrained by the substitution of α-amino isobutyric acid--an amino acid having high helical propensity--in positions which do not interact with S100B. A branched bidentate version of the peptide was bound to S100B tightly with a dissociation constant of 8 nM. When conjugated to a cell-penetrating peptide, it caused growth inhibition and rapid apoptosis in melanoma cells. The molecule exerts antiproliferative action through simultaneous inhibition of key growth pathways, including reactivation of wild-type p53 and inhibition of Akt and STAT3 phosphorylation. The apoptosis induced by the bidentate constrained helix is caused by direct migration of p53 to mitochondria. At moderate intravenous dose, the peptide completely inhibits melanoma growth in a mouse model without any significant observable toxicity. The specificity was shown by lack of ability of a double mutant peptide to cause tumor regression at the same dose level. The methodology described here for direct protein-protein interaction inhibition may be effective for rapid development of inhibitors against relatively weak protein-protein interactions for de novo drug development. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The development and application of a quantitative peptide microarray platform to SH2 domain specificity space

Science.gov (United States)

Engelmann, Brett Warren

The Src homology 2 (SH2) domains evolved alongside protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) and phosphatases (PTPs) in metazoans to recognize the phosphotyrosine (pY) post-translational modification. The human genome encodes 121 SH2 domains within 111 SH2 domain containing proteins that represent the primary mechanism for cellular signal transduction immediately downstream of PTKs. Despite pY recognition contributing to roughly half of the binding energy, SH2 domains possess substantial binding specificity, or affinity discrimination between phosphopeptide ligands. This specificity is largely imparted by amino acids (AAs) adjacent to the pY, typically from positions +1 to +4 C-terminal to the pY. Much experimental effort has been undertaken to construct preferred binding motifs for many SH2 domains. However, due to limitations in previous experimental methodologies these motifs do not account for the interplay between AAs. It was therefore not known how AAs within the context of individual peptides function to impart SH2 domain specificity. In this work we identified the critical role context plays in defining SH2 domain specificity for physiological ligands. We also constructed a high quality interactome using 50 SH2 domains and 192 physiological ligands. We next developed a quantitative high-throughput (Q-HTP) peptide microarray platform to assess the affinities four SH2 domains have for 124 physiological ligands. We demonstrated the superior characteristics of our platform relative to preceding approaches and validated our results using established biophysical techniques, literature corroboration, and predictive algorithms. The quantitative information provided by the arrays was leveraged to investigate SH2 domain binding distributions and identify points of binding overlap. Our microarray derived affinity estimates were integrated to produce quantitative interaction motifs capable of predicting interactions. Furthermore, our microarrays proved capable of resolving

Changing the inhibitory specificity and function of Cucurbita maxima trypsin inhibitor-V by site-directed mutagenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, L; Lee, I; Chen, G; Huang, J K; Gong, Y; Krishnamoorthi, R

1995-02-27

Cucurbita maxima trypsin inhibitor-V (CMTI-V) is also a specific inhibitor of human blood coagulation factor beta-factor XIIa. A recombinant version of CMTI-V has allowed probing of roles of individual amino acid residues including the reactive site residue, lysine (P1), by site-directed mutagenesis. The K44R showed at least a 5-fold increase in inhibitory activity toward human beta-factor XIIa, while there was no change toward bovine trypsin. This result demonstrates that beta-factor-XIIa prefers an arginine residue over lysine residue, while trypsin is non-specific to lysine or arginine in its binding pocket. On the other hand, the specificity of CMTI-V could be changed from trypsin to chymotrypsin inhibition by mutation of the P1 residue to either leucine or methionine (K44L or K44M).

Can free energy calculations be fast and accurate at the same time? Binding of low-affinity, non-peptide inhibitors to the SH2 domain of the src protein

Science.gov (United States)

Chipot, Christophe; Rozanska, Xavier; Dixit, Surjit B.

2005-11-01

The usefulness of free-energy calculations in non-academic environments, in general, and in the pharmaceutical industry, in particular, is a long-time debated issue, often considered from the angle of cost/performance criteria. In the context of the rational drug design of low-affinity, non-peptide inhibitors to the SH2 domain of the pp60src tyrosine kinase, the continuing difficulties encountered in an attempt to obtain accurate free-energy estimates are addressed. free-energy calculations can provide a convincing answer, assuming that two key-requirements are fulfilled: (i) thorough sampling of the configurational space is necessary to minimize the statistical error, hence raising the question: to which extent can we sacrifice the computational effort, yet without jeopardizing the precision of the free-energy calculation? (ii) the sensitivity of binding free-energies to the parameters utilized imposes an appropriate parametrization of the potential energy function, especially for non-peptide molecules that are usually poorly described by multipurpose macromolecular force fields. Employing the free-energy perturbation method, accurate ranking, within ±0.7 kcal/mol, is obtained in the case of four non-peptide mimes of a sequence recognized by the pp60src SH2 domain.

Selection of SARS-Coronavirus-specific B cell epitopes by phage peptide library screening and evaluation of the immunological effect of epitope-based peptides on mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Hua; Jiang Lifang; Fang Danyun; Yan Huijun; Zhou Jingjiao; Zhou Junmei; Liang Yu; Gao Yang; Zhao, Wei; Long Beiguo

2007-01-01

Antibodies to SARS-Coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-specific B cell epitopes might recognize the pathogen and interrupt its adherence to and penetration of host cells. Hence, these epitopes could be useful for diagnosis and as vaccine constituents. Using the phage-displayed peptide library screening method and purified Fab fragments of immunoglobulin G (IgG Fab) from normal human sera and convalescent sera from SARS-CoV-infected patients as targets, 11 B cell epitopes of SARS-CoV spike glycoprotein (S protein) and membrane protein (M protein) were screened. After a bioinformatics tool was used to analyze these epitopes, four epitope-based S protein dodecapeptides corresponding to the predominant epitopes were chosen for synthesis. Their antigenic specificities and immunogenicities were studied in vitro and in vivo. Flow cytometry and ELISPOT analysis of lymphocytes as well as a serologic analysis of antibody showed that these peptides could trigger a rapid, highly effective, and relatively safe immune response in BALB/c mice. These findings might aid development of SARS diagnostics and vaccines. Moreover, the role of S and M proteins as important surface antigens is confirmed

Aborted germinal center reactions and B cell memory by follicular T cells specific for a B cell receptor V region peptide.

Science.gov (United States)

Heiser, Ryan A; Snyder, Christopher M; St Clair, James; Wysocki, Lawrence J

2011-07-01

A fundamental problem in immunoregulation is how CD4(+) T cells react to immunogenic peptides derived from the V region of the BCR that are created by somatic mechanisms, presented in MHC II, and amplified to abundance by B cell clonal expansion during immunity. BCR neo Ags open a potentially dangerous avenue of T cell help in violation of the principle of linked Ag recognition. To analyze this issue, we developed a murine adoptive transfer model using paired donor B cells and CD4 T cells specific for a BCR-derived peptide. BCR peptide-specific T cells aborted ongoing germinal center reactions and impeded the secondary immune response. Instead, they induced the B cells to differentiate into short-lived extrafollicular plasmablasts that secreted modest quantities of Ig. These results uncover an immunoregulatory process that restricts the memory pathway to B cells that communicate with CD4 T cells via exogenous foreign Ag.

Peptides in melanoma therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mocellin, Simone

2012-01-01

Peptides derived from tumor associated antigens can be utilized to elicit a therapeutically effective immune response against melanoma in experimental models. However, patient vaccination with peptides - although it is often followed by the induction of melanoma- specific T lymphocytes - is rarely associated with tumor response of clinical relevance. In this review I summarize the principles of peptide design as well as the results so far obtained in the clinical setting while treating cutaneous melanoma by means of this active immunotherapy strategy. I also discuss some immunological and methodological issues that might be helpful for the successful development of peptide-based vaccines.

Novel angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides derived from boneless chicken leg meat.

Science.gov (United States)

Terashima, Masaaki; Baba, Takako; Ikemoto, Narumi; Katayama, Midori; Morimoto, Tomoko; Matsumura, Saki

2010-06-23

Four peptides that inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) were separated from the hydorlysate of boneless chicken leg meat digested with artificial gastric juice (pepsin). Two peptides were identified as the peptides encrypted in myosin heavy chain. The peptide P1 (MNVKHWPWMK) corresponds to the amino acid sequence from amino acids 825 to 834 of myosin heavy chain, and the peptide P4 (VTVNPYKWLP) corresponds to the amino acid sequence from amino acids 125 to 135 of myosin heavy chain. They are novel ACE inhibitory peptides derived from chicken, and IC(50) values of P1 and P4 were determined as 228 and 5.5 microM, respectively. Although these values were much larger than 0.022 microM for captopril, a typical synthetic ACE inhibitor, they are comparable to IC(50) values reported for various ACE inhibitory peptides derived from foods. Because the peptide P4 has a relatively low IC(50) value, it is a good starting substance for designing food supplements for hypertensive patients.

Monitoring multiple myeloma by idiotype-specific peptide binders of tumor-derived exosomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Iaccino, Enrico; Mimmi, Selena; Dattilo, Vincenzo; Marino, Fabiola; Candeloro, Patrizio; Di Loria, Antonio; Marimpietri, Danilo; Pisano, Antonio; Albano, Francesco; Vecchio, Eleonora; Ceglia, Simona; Golino, Gaetanina; Lupia, Antonio; Fiume, Giuseppe; Quinto, Ileana; Scala, Giuseppe

2017-10-13

Tumor-derived exosomes (TDEs) play a pivotal role in tumor establishment and progression, and are emerging biomarkers for tumor diagnosis in personalized medicine. To date, there is a lack of efficient technology platforms for exosome isolation and characterization. Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable B-cell malignancy due to the rapid development of drug-resistance. MM-released exosomes express the immunoglobulin B-cell receptor (Ig-BCR) of the tumor B-cells, which can be targeted by Idiotype-binding peptides (Id-peptides). In this study, we analyzed the production of MM-released exosomes in the murine 5T33MM multiple myeloma model as biomarkers of tumor growth. To this end, we selected Id-peptides by screening a phage display library using as bait the Ig-BCR expressed by 5T33MM cells. By FACS, the FITC-conjugated Id-peptides detected the MM-released exosomes in the serum of 5T33MM-engrafted mice, levels of which are correlated with tumor progression at an earlier time point compared to serum paraprotein. These results indicate that Id-peptide-based recognition of MM-released exosomes may represent a very sensitive diagnostic approach for clinical evaluation of disease progression.

A microbially derived tyrosine-sulfated peptide mimics a plant peptide hormone.

Science.gov (United States)

Pruitt, Rory N; Joe, Anna; Zhang, Weiguo; Feng, Wei; Stewart, Valley; Schwessinger, Benjamin; Dinneny, José R; Ronald, Pamela C

2017-07-01

The biotrophic pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) produces a sulfated peptide named RaxX, which shares similarity to peptides in the PSY (plant peptide containing sulfated tyrosine) family. We hypothesize that RaxX mimics the growth-stimulating activity of PSY peptides. Root length was measured in Arabidopsis and rice treated with synthetic RaxX peptides. We also used comparative genomic analyses and reactive oxygen species burst assays to evaluate the activity of RaxX and PSY peptides. Here we found that a synthetic sulfated RaxX derivative comprising 13 residues (RaxX13-sY), highly conserved between RaxX and PSY, induces root growth in Arabidopsis and rice in a manner similar to that triggered by PSY. We identified residues that are required for activation of immunity mediated by the rice XA21 receptor but that are not essential for root growth induced by PSY. Finally, we showed that a Xanthomonas strain lacking raxX is impaired in virulence. These findings suggest that RaxX serves as a molecular mimic of PSY peptides to facilitate Xoo infection and that XA21 has evolved the ability to recognize and respond specifically to the microbial form of the peptide. © 2017 UT-Battelle LLC. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

Specific CLK inhibitors from a novel chemotype for regulation of alternative splicing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fedorov, Oleg; Huber, Kilian; Eisenreich, Andreas

2011-01-01

There is a growing recognition of the importance of protein kinases in the control of alternative splicing. To define the underlying regulatory mechanisms, highly selective inhibitors are needed. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of the dichloroindolyl enaminonitrile KH-CB19......, a potent and highly specific inhibitor of the CDC2-like kinase isoforms 1 and 4 (CLK1/CLK4). Cocrystal structures of KH-CB19 with CLK1 and CLK3 revealed a non-ATP mimetic binding mode, conformational changes in helix aC and the phosphate binding loop and halogen bonding to the kinase hinge region. KH-CB19...... effectively suppressed phosphorylation of SR (serine/arginine) proteins in cells, consistent with its expected mechanism of action. Chemical inhibition of CLK1/CLK4 generated a unique pattern of splicing factor dephosphorylation and had at low nM concentration a profound effect on splicing of the two tissue...

Characterization of an insulin-like growth factor-I/somatomedin-C radioimmunoassay specific for the C-peptide region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hintz, R.L.; Liu, F.; Seegan, G.

1982-01-01

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and somatomedin-C (SM-C) have been shown to be functionally identical by a number of criteria. We have synthesized the 12 amino acid C-peptide region of IGF-I (Gly-Tyr-Gly-Ser-Ser-Ser-Arg-Arg-Ala-Pro-Glu-Thr) and developed a RIA based on antibodies against this synthetic peptide. IGF-I and SM-C were indistinguishable in this RIA. No other peptides competed for this antiserum. The SM-C/IGF-I values of acid-chromatographed serum were strongly age dependent. The mean of children 1-5 yr old was 0.67 +/- 0.033 U/ml (mean +/- sD; n = 23), whereas the mean of children 12-17 yr old was 2.01 +/- 0.66 U/ml (n = 39) and the mean of 38 adults 26-85 yr old was 1.05 +/- 0.34. The SM-C/IGF-I values measured by this RIA were also growth hormone dependent. Thus, this region-specific RIA provides a clinically useful assessment of serum SM-C/IGF-I levels

Opportunities to Target Specific Contractile Abnormalities with Smooth Muscle Protein Kinase Inhibitors

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Annegret Ulke-Lemée

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Smooth muscle is a major component of most hollow organ systems (e.g., airways, vasculature, bladder and gut/gastrointestine; therefore, the coordinated regulation of contraction is a key property of smooth muscle. When smooth muscle functions normally, it contributes to general health and wellness, but its dysfunction is associated with morbidity and mortality. Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK is central to calcium-independent, actomyosin-mediated contractile force generation in the vasculature, thereby playing a role in smooth muscle contraction, cell motility and adhesion. Recent evidence supports an important role for ROCK in the increased vasoconstriction and remodeling observed in various models of hypertension. This review will provide a commentary on the development of specific ROCK inhibitors and their clinical application. Fasudil will be discussed as an example of bench-to-bedside development of a clinical therapeutic that is used to treat conditions of vascular hypercontractility. Due to the wide spectrum of biological processes regulated by ROCK, many additional clinical indications might also benefit from ROCK inhibition. Apart from the importance of ROCK in smooth muscle contraction, a variety of other protein kinases are known to play similar roles in regulating contractile force. The zipper-interacting protein kinase (ZIPK and integrin-linked kinase (ILK are two well-described regulators of contraction. The relative contribution of each kinase to contraction depends on the muscle bed as well as hormonal and neuronal stimulation. Unfortunately, specific inhibitors for ZIPK and ILK are still in the development phase, but the success of fasudil suggests that inhibitors for these other kinases may also have valuable clinical applications. Notably, the directed inhibition of ZIPK with a pseudosubstrate molecule shows unexpected effects on the contractility of gastrointestinal smooth muscle.

Optimal Classes of Chemotherapeutic Agents Sensitized by Specific Small-Molecule Inhibitors of Akt In Vitro and In Vivo

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Yan Shi

2005-11-01

Full Text Available Akt is a serine/threonine kinase that transduces survival signals from survival/growth factors. Deregulation and signal imbalance in cancer cells make them prone to apoptosis. Upregulation or activation of Akt to aid the survival of cancer cells is a common theme in human malignancies. We have developed small-molecule Akt inhibitors that are potent and specific. These Akt inhibitors can inhibit Akt activity and block phosphorylation by Akt on multiple downstream targets in cells. Synergy in apoptosis induction was observed when Akt inhibitors were combined with doxorubicin or camptothecin. Akt inhibitor-induced enhancement of topoisomerase inhibitor cytotoxicity was also evident in long-term cell survival assay. Synergy with paclitaxel in apoptosis induction was evident in cells pretreated with paclitaxel, and enhancement of tumor delay by paclitaxel was demonstrated through cotreatment with Akt inhibitor Compound A (A-443654. Combination with other classes of chemotherapeutic agents did not yield any enhancement of cytotoxicity. These findings provide important guidance in selecting appropriate classes of chemotherapeutic agents for combination with Akt inhibitors in cancer treatment.

Engineering a prostate-specific membrane antigen-activated tumor endothelial cell prodrug for cancer therapy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Denmeade, Samuel R; Mhaka, Annastasiah M; Rosen, D Marc

2012-01-01

adenosine triphosphatase (SERCA) pump, whose proper function is required by all cell types for viability. To achieve targeted inhibition, we took advantage of the unique expression of the carboxypeptidase prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) by tumor endothelial cells within the microenvironment...... of solid tumors. We generated a prodrug, G202, consisting of a PSMA-specific peptide coupled to an analog of the potent SERCA pump inhibitor thapsigargin. G202 produced substantial tumor regression against a panel of human cancer xenografts in vivo at doses that were minimally toxic to the host...

Signal peptide-dependent inhibition of MHC class I heavy chain translation by rhesus cytomegalovirus.

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Colin J Powers

2008-10-01

Full Text Available The US2-11 region of human and rhesus cytomegalovirus encodes a conserved family of glycoproteins that inhibit MHC-I assembly with viral peptides, thus preventing cytotoxic T cell recognition. Since HCMV lacking US2-11 is no longer able to block assembly and transport of MHC-I, we examined whether this is also observed for RhCMV lacking the corresponding region. Unexpectedly, recombinant RhCMV lacking US2-11 was still able to inhibit MHC-I expression in infected fibroblasts, suggesting the presence of an additional MHC-I evasion mechanism. Progressive deletion analysis of RhCMV-specific genomic regions revealed that MHC-I expression is fully restored upon additional deletion of rh178. The protein encoded by this RhCMV-specific open reading frame is anchored in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. In the presence of rh178, RhCMV prevented MHC-I heavy chain (HC expression, but did not inhibit mRNA transcription or association of HC mRNA with translating ribosomes. Proteasome inhibitors stabilized a HC degradation intermediate in the absence of rh178, but not in its presence, suggesting that rh178 prevents completion of HC translation. This interference was signal sequence-dependent since replacing the signal peptide with that of CD4 or murine HC rendered human HCs resistant to rh178. We have identified an inhibitor of antigen presentation encoded by rhesus cytomegalovirus unique in both its lack of homology to any other known protein and in its mechanism of action. By preventing signal sequence-dependent HC translocation, rh178 acts prior to US2, US3 and US11 which attack MHC-I proteins after protein synthesis is completed. Rh178 is the first viral protein known to interfere at this step of the MHC-I pathway, thus taking advantage of the conserved nature of HC leader peptides, and represents a new mechanism of translational interference.

A new protein inhibitor of trypsin and activated Hageman factor from pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnamoorthi, R; Gong, Y X; Richardson, M

1990-10-29

A protein inhibitor (CMTI-V; Mr 7106) of trypsin and activated Hageman factor (Factor XIIa), a serine protease involved in blood coagulation, has been isolated for the first time from pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) seeds by means of trypsin-affinity chromatography and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The dissociation constants of the inhibitor complexes with trypsin and Factor XIIa have been determined to be 1.6 x 10(-8) and 4.1 x 10(-8) M, respectively. The primary structure of CMTI-V is reported. The protein has 68 amino acid residues and one disulfide bridge and shows a high level of sequence homology to the Potato I inhibitor family. Furthermore, its amino terminus consists of an N-acetylates Ser. The reactive site has been established to be the peptide bond between Lys44-Asp45. The modified inhibitor which has the reactive site peptide bond hydrolyzed inhibits trypsin but not the Hageman factor.

Studies on bioactive peptide from Chinese soft-shelled turtle ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper dealt with a novel anti-hypertensive collagen peptide from Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis), which was an efficient inhibitor of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE, EC 3.4.15.1). ACE plays an important physiological role in the regulation of blood pressure by virtue of the rennin angiotensin ...

Residual DNA-bound proteins are a source of in vitro transcription inhibitor peptides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venanzi, F.M.

1989-01-01

Enzymatic breakdown of residual proteins occurs at mild alkaline pH (pH optimum 8.5) as monitored by using radioiodinated, purified genomic DNA from calf thymus. These DNA fibers also possess a differential ability to hydrolyze added exogenous small and linker histones. The results described argue strongly that a putative protease activity, co-purified with DNA, is the source of short chain peptides which inhibit transcription in vitro. Therefore, we propose that RNA repressor peptides must be of higher molecular weight than previously reported

Potent and Selective Peptide-based Inhibition of the G Protein Gαq.

Science.gov (United States)

Charpentier, Thomas H; Waldo, Gary L; Lowery-Gionta, Emily G; Krajewski, Krzysztof; Strahl, Brian D; Kash, Thomas L; Harden, T Kendall; Sondek, John

2016-12-02

In contrast to G protein-coupled receptors, for which chemical and peptidic inhibitors have been extensively explored, few compounds are available that directly modulate heterotrimeric G proteins. Active Gα q binds its two major classes of effectors, the phospholipase C (PLC)-β isozymes and Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs) related to Trio, in a strikingly similar fashion: a continuous helix-turn-helix of the effectors engages Gα q within its canonical binding site consisting of a groove formed between switch II and helix α3. This information was exploited to synthesize peptides that bound active Gα q in vitro with affinities similar to full-length effectors and directly competed with effectors for engagement of Gα q A representative peptide was specific for active Gα q because it did not bind inactive Gα q or other classes of active Gα subunits and did not inhibit the activation of PLC-β3 by Gβ 1 γ 2 In contrast, the peptide robustly prevented activation of PLC-β3 or p63RhoGEF by Gα q ; it also prevented G protein-coupled receptor-promoted neuronal depolarization downstream of Gα q in the mouse prefrontal cortex. Moreover, a genetically encoded form of this peptide flanked by fluorescent proteins inhibited Gα q -dependent activation of PLC-β3 at least as effectively as a dominant-negative form of full-length PLC-β3. These attributes suggest that related, cell-penetrating peptides should effectively inhibit active Gα q in cells and that these and genetically encoded sequences may find application as molecular probes, drug leads, and biosensors to monitor the spatiotemporal activation of Gα q in cells. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Multiple Factors Related to the Secretion of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

XingChun Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The glucagon-like peptide-1 is secreted by intestinal L cells in response to nutrient ingestion. It regulates the secretion and sensitivity of insulin while suppressing glucagon secretion and decreasing postprandial glucose levels. It also improves beta-cell proliferation and prevents beta-cell apoptosis induced by cytotoxic agents. Additionally, glucagon-like peptide-1 delays gastric emptying and suppresses appetite. The impaired secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 has negative influence on diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance related diseases. Thus, glucagon-like peptide-1-based therapies (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors are now well accepted in the management of type 2 diabetes. The levels of glucagon-like peptide-1 are influenced by multiple factors including a variety of nutrients. The component of a meal acts as potent stimulants of glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion. The levels of its secretion change with the intake of different nutrients. Some drugs also have influence on GLP-1 secretion. Bariatric surgery may improve metabolism through the action on GLP-1 levels. In recent years, there has been a great interest in developing effective methods to regulate glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion. This review summarizes the literature on glucagon-like peptide-1 and related factors affecting its levels.

Acetone-Linked Peptides: A Convergent Approach for Peptide Macrocyclization and Labeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Assem, Naila; Ferreira, David J; Wolan, Dennis W; Dawson, Philip E

2015-07-20

Macrocyclization is a broadly applied approach for overcoming the intrinsically disordered nature of linear peptides. Herein, it is shown that dichloroacetone (DCA) enhances helical secondary structures when introduced between peptide nucleophiles, such as thiols, to yield an acetone-linked bridge (ACE). Aside from stabilizing helical structures, the ketone moiety embedded in the linker can be modified with diverse molecular tags by oxime ligation. Insights into the structure of the tether were obtained through co-crystallization of a constrained S-peptide in complex with RNAse S. The scope of the acetone-linked peptides was further explored through the generation of N-terminus to side chain macrocycles and a new approach for generating fused macrocycles (bicycles). Together, these studies suggest that acetone linking is generally applicable to peptide macrocycles with a specific utility in the synthesis of stabilized helices that incorporate functional tags. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Anti-tumor effects of dehydroaltenusin, a specific inhibitor of mammalian DNA polymerase α

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maeda, Naoki; Kokai, Yasuo; Ohtani, Seiji; Sahara, Hiroeki; Kuriyama, Isoko; Kamisuki, Shinji; Takahashi, Shunya; Sakaguchi, Kengo; Sugawara, Fumio; Yoshida, Hiromi; Sato, Noriyuki; Mizushina, Yoshiyuki

2007-01-01

In the screening of selective inhibitors of eukaryotic DNA polymerases (pols), dehydroaltenusin was found to be an inhibitor of pol α from a fungus (Alternaria tennuis). We succeeded in chemically synthesizing dehydroaltenusin, and the compound inhibited only mammalian pol α with IC 50 value of 0.5 μM, and did not influence the activities of other replicative pols such as pols δ and ε, but also showed no effect on pol α activity from another vertebrate, fish, or from a plant species. Dehydroaltenusin also had no influence on the other pols and DNA metabolic enzymes tested. The compound also inhibited the proliferation of human cancer cells with LD 50 values of 38.0-44.4 μM. In an in vivo anti-tumor assay on nude mice bearing solid tumors of HeLa cells, dehydroaltenusin was shown to be a promising suppressor of solid tumors. Histopathological examination revealed that increased tumor necrosis and decreased mitotic index were apparently detected by the compound in vivo. Therefore, dehydroaltenusin could be of interest as not only a mammalian pol α-specific inhibitor, but also as a candidate drug for anti-cancer treatment

Sequence specificity for uridylylation of the viral peptide linked to the genome (VPg) of enteroviruses.

Science.gov (United States)

Schein, Catherine H; Ye, Mengyi; Paul, Aniko V; Oberste, M Steven; Chapman, Nora; van der Heden van Noort, Gerbrand J; Filippov, Dmitri V; Choi, Kyung H

2015-10-01

Enteroviruses (EV) uridylylate a peptide, VPg, as the first step in their replication. VPgpUpU, found free in infected cells, serves as the primer for RNA elongation. The abilities of four polymerases (3D(pol)), from EV-species A-C, to uridylylate VPgs that varied by up to 60% of their residues were compared. Each 3D(pol) was able to uridylylate all five VPgs using polyA RNA as template, while showing specificity for its own genome encoded peptide. All 3D(pol) uridylylated a consensus VPg representing the physical chemical properties of 31 different VPgs. Thus the residues required for uridylylation and the enzymatic mechanism must be similar in diverse EV. As VPg-binding sites differ in co-crystal structures, the reaction is probably done by a second 3D(pol) molecule. The conservation of polymerase residues whose mutation reduces uridylylation but not RNA elongation is compared. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In silico simulations of STAT1 and STAT3 inhibitors predict SH2 domain cross-binding specificity.

Science.gov (United States)

Szelag, Malgorzata; Sikorski, Krzysztof; Czerwoniec, Anna; Szatkowska, Katarzyna; Wesoly, Joanna; Bluyssen, Hans A R

2013-11-15

Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) comprise a family of transcription factors that are structurally related and which participate in signaling pathways activated by cytokines, growth factors and pathogens. Activation of STAT proteins is mediated by the highly conserved Src homology 2 (SH2) domain, which interacts with phosphotyrosine motifs for specific contacts between STATs and receptors and for STAT dimerization. By generating new models for human (h)STAT1, hSTAT2 and hSTAT3 we applied comparative in silico docking to determine SH2-binding specificity of the STAT3 inhibitor stattic, and of fludarabine (STAT1 inhibitor). Thus, we provide evidence that by primarily targeting the highly conserved phosphotyrosine (pY+0) SH2 binding pocket stattic is not a specific hSTAT3 inhibitor, but is equally effective towards hSTAT1 and hSTAT2. This was confirmed in Human Micro-vascular Endothelial Cells (HMECs) in vitro, in which stattic inhibited interferon-α-induced phosphorylation of all three STATs. Likewise, fludarabine inhibits both hSTAT1 and hSTAT3 phosphorylation, but not hSTAT2, by competing with the highly conserved pY+0 and pY-X binding sites, which are less well-preserved in hSTAT2. Moreover we observed that in HMECs in vitro fludarabine inhibits cytokine and lipopolysaccharide-induced phosphorylation of hSTAT1 and hSTAT3 but does not affect hSTAT2. Finally, multiple sequence alignment of STAT-SH2 domain sequences confirmed high conservation between hSTAT1 and hSTAT3, but not hSTAT2, with respect to stattic and fludarabine binding sites. Together our data offer a molecular basis that explains STAT cross-binding specificity of stattic and fludarabine, thereby questioning the present selection strategies of SH2 domain-based competitive small inhibitors. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tracking of peptide-specific CD4+ T-cell responses after an acute resolving viral infection: a study of parvovirus B19

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kasprowicz, Victoria; Isa, Adiba; Tolfvenstam, Thomas

2006-01-01

The evolution of peptide-specific CD4(+) T-cell responses to acute viral infections of humans is poorly understood. We analyzed the response to parvovirus B19 (B19), a ubiquitous and clinically significant pathogen with a compact and conserved genome. The magnitude and breadth of the CD4(+) T......-cell response to the two B19 capsid proteins were investigated using a set of overlapping peptides and gamma interferon-specific enzyme-linked immunospot assays of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a cohort of acutely infected individuals who presented with acute arthropathy. These were compared...... to those for a cohort of B19-specific immunoglobulin M-negative (IgM(-)), IgG(+) remotely infected individuals. Both cohorts of individuals were found to make broad CD4(+) responses. However, while the responses following acute infection were detectable ex vivo, responses in remotely infected individuals...

Molecular dynamics simulations and in silico peptide ligand screening of the Elk-1 ETS domain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hussain Abrar

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Elk-1 transcription factor is a member of a group of proteins called ternary complex factors, which serve as a paradigm for gene regulation in response to extracellular signals. Its deregulation has been linked to multiple human diseases including the development of tumours. The work herein aims to inform the design of potential peptidomimetic compounds that can inhibit the formation of the Elk-1 dimer, which is key to Elk-1 stability. We have conducted molecular dynamics simulations of the Elk-1 ETS domain followed by virtual screening. Results We show the ETS dimerisation site undergoes conformational reorganisation at the α1β1 loop. Through exhaustive screening of di- and tri-peptide libraries against a collection of ETS domain conformations representing the dynamics of the loop, we identified a series of potential binders for the Elk-1 dimer interface. The di-peptides showed no particular preference toward the binding site; however, the tri-peptides made specific interactions with residues: Glu17, Gln18 and Arg49 that are pivotal to the dimer interface. Conclusions We have shown molecular dynamics simulations can be combined with virtual peptide screening to obtain an exhaustive docking protocol that incorporates dynamic fluctuations in a receptor. Based on our findings, we suggest experimental binding studies to be performed on the 12 SILE ranked tri-peptides as possible compounds for the design of inhibitors of Elk-1 dimerisation. It would also be reasonable to consider the score-ranked tri-peptides as a comparative test to establish whether peptide size is a determinant factor of binding to the ETS domain.

Baicalin and scutellarin are proteasome inhibitors that specifically target chymotrypsin-like catalytic activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yi-Xin; Sato, Eiji; Kimura, Wataru; Miura, Naoyuki

2013-09-01

Baicalin and scutellarin are the major active principal flavonoids extracted from the Chinese herbal medicines Scutellaria baicalensis and Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand-Mazz. It has recently been reported that baicalin and scutellarin have antitumor activity. However, the mechanisms of action are unknown. We previously reported that some flavonoids have a specific role in the inhibition of the activity of proteasome subunits and induced apoptosis in tumor cells. To further investigate these pharmacological effects, we examined the inhibitory activity of baicalin and scutellarin on the extracted proteasomes from mice and cancer cells. Using fluorogenic substrates for proteasome catalytic subunits, we found that baicalin and scutellarin specifically inhibited chymotrypsin-like activity but did not inhibit trypsin-like and peptidyl-glutamyl peptide hydrolyzing activities. These data suggested that baicalin and scutellarin specifically inhibit chymotrypsin-like catalytic activity in the proteasome. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The preparation and identification of peptide imaging agent of lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu Liping; Wang Yan; Wang Yueying; Liu Jinjian; Wu Hongying; Liu Jianfeng

2010-01-01

Objective: To screen in vivo lung cancer specific binding 7-peptide from T7 phage display random peptide library and prepare peptide imaging agent in early in early diagnosis of lung cancer. Methods: Used phage display in vivo technology to get the 7-peptide phage that can bind the lung cancer specifically, then sequenced and synthesized 7-peptide. After being labeled by 125 I, this 7-peptide was injected into mice via vein and the distribution in the mice tumor mold was observed. Results: One 7-peptide was obtained after four rounds of screening, and the peptide could bind lung cancer tissue specifically. Metabolism of this peptide in mice was fast and imaging of lung cancer was best two hours later after injection. The distribution in vivo decreased and almost disappeared after six hours. Conclusion: This 7-peptide could be used to image and diagnose of lung cancer effectively. (authors)

99mTc-labeling and evaluation of a HYNIC modified small-molecular inhibitor of prostate-specific membrane antigen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Xiaoping; Zhang, Jianping; Hu, Silong; He, Simin; Bao, Xiao; Ma, Guang; Luo, Jianmin; Cheng, Jingyi; Zhang, Yingjian

2017-01-01

Introduction: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a well-established target in the development of radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis and therapy of prostate cancer (PCa). In this study, we evaluated a novel 99m Tc-labeled small molecular inhibitor of PSMA. Methods: This new small-molecular inhibitor of PSMA, 6-hydrazinonicotinate-Aminocaproic acid-Lysine-Urea-Glutamate (HYNIC-ALUG) was radiolabeled by 99m Tc and was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo using PCa models (PC-3 and LNCaP). Radiation dosimetry was assessed in mice. Results: 99m Tc-HYNIC-ALUG showed excellent stability in different media. A cell assay preliminarily displayed its specificity for PSMA. The inhibitor showed good pharmacokinetics making it suitable for in vivo imaging. PC-3-derived tumors showed no obvious radioactive uptake; however, the LNCaP-derived tumors showed very high radioactive uptake which was significantly decreased by the selective PSMA inhibitor 2-PMPA. Biodistribution in LNCaP xenografts showed an optimum tumor-to-blood ratio of 24.23 ± 3.54 at 2 h. Tumor uptake was also decreased in the inhibition experiment with 2-PMPA (19.45 ± 2.14%ID/g versus 1.42 ± 0.15%ID/g at 2 h). The effective dose of the 99m Tc-HYNIC-ALUG was 8.4E-04 mSv/MBq. Conclusions: A new 99m Tc-labeled PSMA inhibitor with specific accumulation in PSMA-positive tumors and low background in other organs was synthesized. The radiopharmaceutical also showed very low radiation dosimetry. This agent may significantly improve the diagnosis, staging, and subsequent monitoring of therapeutic effects in PCa patients.

Structural Basis for Specific Inhibition of tRNA Synthetase by an ATP Competitive Inhibitor

OpenAIRE

Fang, Pengfei; Han, Hongyan; Wang, Jing; Chen, Kaige; Chen, Xin; Guo, Min

2015-01-01

Pharmaceutical inhibitors of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases demand high species and family specificity. The antimalarial ATP-mimetic cladosporin selectively inhibits P. falciparum LysRS (PfLysRS). How the binding to a universal ATP site achieves the specificity is unknown. Here we report 3 crystal structures of cladosporin with human LysRS, PfLysRS, and a Pf-like human LysRS mutant. In all 3 structures, cladosporin occupies the class defining ATP-binding pocket, replacing the adenosine portion of...

Biochemistry and biophysics of HIV-1 gp41 - membrane interactions and implications for HIV-1 envelope protein mediated viral-cell fusion and fusion inhibitor design.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Lifeng; Gochin, Miriam; Liu, Keliang

2011-12-01

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), the pathogen of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), causes ~2 millions death every year and still defies an effective vaccine. HIV-1 infects host cells through envelope protein - mediated virus-cell fusion. The transmembrane subunit of envelope protein, gp41, is the molecular machinery which facilitates fusion. Its ectodomain contains several distinguishing functional domains, fusion peptide (FP), Nterminal heptad repeat (NHR), C-terminal heptad repeat (CHR) and membrane proximal extracellular region (MPER). During the fusion process, FP inserts into the host cell membrane, and an extended gp41 prehairpin conformation bridges the viral and cell membranes through MPER and FP respectively. Subsequent conformational change of the unstable prehairpin results in a coiled-coil 6-helix bundle (6HB) structure formed between NHR and CHR. The energetics of 6HB formation drives membrane apposition and fusion. Drugs targeting gp41 functional domains to prevent 6HB formation inhibit HIV-1 infection. T20 (enfuvirtide, Fuzeon) was approved by the US FDA in 2003 as the first fusion inhibitor. It is a 36-residue peptide from the gp41 CHR, and it inhibits 6HB formation by targeting NHR and lipids. Development of new fusion inhibitors, especially small molecule drugs, is encouraged to overcome the shortcomings of T20 as a peptide drug. Hydrophobic characteristics and membrane association are critical for gp41 function and mechanism of action. Research in gp41-membrane interactions, using peptides corresponding to specific functional domains, or constructs including several interactive domains, are reviewed here to get a better understanding of gp41 mediated virus-cell fusion that can inform or guide the design of new HIV-1 fusion inhibitors.

Peptide-membrane interactions of arginine-tryptophan peptides probed using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring.

KAUST Repository

Rydberg, Hanna A

2014-04-18

Membrane-active peptides include peptides that can cross cellular membranes and deliver macromolecular cargo as well as peptides that inhibit bacterial growth. Some of these peptides can act as both transporters and antibacterial agents. It is desirable to combine the knowledge from these two different fields of membrane-active peptides into design of new peptides with tailored actions, as transporters of cargo or as antibacterial substances, targeting specific membranes. We have previously shown that the position of the amino acid tryptophan in the peptide sequence of three arginine-tryptophan peptides affects their uptake and intracellular localization in live mammalian cells, as well as their ability to inhibit bacterial growth. Here, we use quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring to assess the induced changes caused by binding of the three peptides to supported model membranes composed of POPC, POPC/POPG, POPC/POPG/cholesterol or POPC/lactosyl PE. Our results indicate that the tryptophan position in the peptide sequence affects the way these peptides interact with the different model membranes and that the presence of cholesterol in particular seems to affect the membrane interaction of the peptide with an even distribution of tryptophans in the peptide sequence. These results give mechanistic insight into the function of these peptides and may aid in the design of membrane-active peptides with specified cellular targets and actions.