An integrated molecular grafting approach for the design of Keap1-targeted peptide inhibitors
- Journal Title
- ACS Chemical Biology
- Publication Type
- epub ahead of print
- Abstract
- Inhibiting the Nrf2:Keap1 interaction to trigger cytoprotective gene expression is a promising treatment strategy for oxidative stress-related diseases. A short linear motif from Nrf2 has the potential to directly inhibit this protein-protein interaction, but poor stability and limited cellular uptake impede its therapeutic development. To address these limitations, we utilized an integrated molecular grafting strategy to re-engineer the Nrf2 motif. We combined the motif with an engineered non-native disulfide bond and a cell-penetrating peptide onto a single multifunctionalizable and ultrastable molecular scaffold, namely, the cyclotide MCoTI-II, resulting in the grafted peptide MCNr-2c. The engineered disulfide bond enhanced the conformational rigidity of the motif, resulting in a nanomolar affinity of MCNr-2c for Keap1. The cell-penetrating peptide led to an improved cellular uptake and increased ability to enhance the intracellular expression of two well-described Nrf2-target genes NQO1 and TALDO1. Furthermore, the stability of the scaffold was inherited by the grafted peptide, which became resistant to proteolysis in serum. Overall, we have provided proof-of-concept for a strategy that enables the encapsulation of multiple desired and complementary activities into a single molecular entity to design a Keap1-targeted inhibitor. We propose that this integrated approach could have broad utility for the design of peptide drug leads that require multiple functions and/or biopharmaceutical properties to elicit a therapeutic activity.
- Publisher
- ACS
- Research Division(s)
- Cancer Biology And Stem Cells
- PubMed ID
- 34152716
- Publisher's Version
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acschembio.1c00388
- Terms of Use/Rights Notice
- Refer to copyright notice on published article.
Creation Date: 2021-06-25 01:41:44
Last Modified: 2021-06-25 01:49:43