This review is aimed to provide a concise yet extensive survey of key short bioactive peptide sequences for a range of applications ranging from biomaterials development to peptides with therapeutic ...uses. The following are considered: cell adhesion motifs, structural peptides, cell-penetrating and tumor-homing peptides, antimicrobial peptides, peptide hormones, growth factors and matrix metalloprotease substrates, neuropeptides, amyloid peptides, antioxidant peptides, peptide affinity tags, anticancer peptides, and others. This review provides a convenient resource, summarizing a broad range of important sequences with great utility as a resource concerning both small peptide drugs and also novel biofunctional peptide-based materials.
When Poecilobdella manillensis attacks its prey, the prey bleeds profusely but feels little pain. We and other research teams have identified several anticoagulant molecules in the saliva of P. ...manillensis, but the substance that produces the paralyzing effect in P. manillensis is not known. In this study, we successfully isolated, purified, and identified a serine protease inhibitor containing an antistasin-like domain from the salivary secretions of P. manillensis. This peptide (named poeciguamerin) significantly inhibited elastase activity and slightly inhibited FXIIa and kallikrein activity, but had no effect on FXa, trypsin, or thrombin activity. Furthermore, poeciguamerin exhibited analgesic activity in the foot-licking and tail-withdrawal mouse models and anticoagulant activity in the FeClsub.3-induced carotid artery thrombosis mouse model. In this study, poeciguamerin was found to be a promising elastase inhibitor with potent analgesic and antithrombotic activity for the inhibition of pain and thrombosis after surgery or in inflammatory conditions.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease. Imbalance between the production and clearance of amyloid β (Aβ) peptides is considered to be the primary mechanism of AD ...pathogenesis. This amyloid hypothesis is supported by the recent success of the human anti‐amyloid antibody aducanumab, in clearing plaque and slowing clinical impairment in prodromal or mild patients in a phase Ib trial. Here, a peptide combining polyarginines (polyR) (for charge repulsion) and a segment derived from the core region of Aβ amyloid (for sequence recognition) was designed. The efficacy of the designed peptide, R8‐Aβ(25–35), on amyloid reduction and the improvement of cognitive functions were evaluated using APP/PS1 double transgenic mice. Daily intranasal administration of PEI‐conjugated R8‐Aβ(25–35) peptide significantly reduced Aβ amyloid accumulation and ameliorated the memory deficits of the transgenic mice. Intranasal administration is a feasible route for peptide delivery. The modular design combining polyR and aggregate‐forming segments produced a desirable therapeutic effect and could be easily adopted to design therapeutic peptides for other proteinaceous aggregate‐associated diseases.
Synopsis
Intranasal administration of an amyloid inhibitor peptide to Alzheimer transgenic mice reduces amyloid brain deposition in the brain and ameliorates cognitive decline.
A peptide, R8‐Aβ(25–35), combining polyarginines (polyR) (for charge repulsion) and a segment derived from the core region of Aβ amyloid (for sequence recognition) was designed.
Daily intranasal administration of the PEI‐conjugated R8‐Aβ(25–35) peptide significantly reduced Aβ amyloid accumulation and ameliorated the memory deficits of the transgenic mice. Intranasal administration is a feasible route for peptide delivery.
The modular design combining polyR and aggregate‐forming segments could be easily extended to other proteinaceous aggregate‐associated diseases.
Intranasal administration of an amyloid inhibitor peptide to Alzheimer transgenic mice reduces amyloid brain deposition in the brain and ameliorates cognitive decline.
In Drosophila melanogaster, recognition of an invading pathogen activates the Toll or Imd signaling pathway, triggering robust upregulation of innate immune effectors. Although the mechanisms of ...pathogen recognition and signaling are now well understood, the functions of the immune-induced transcriptome and proteome remain much less well characterized. Through bioinformatic analysis of effector gene sequences, we have defined a family of twelve genes - the Bomanins (Boms) - that are specifically induced by Toll and that encode small, secreted peptides of unknown biochemical activity. Using targeted genome engineering, we have deleted ten of the twelve Bom genes. Remarkably, inactivating these ten genes decreases survival upon microbial infection to the same extent, and with the same specificity, as does eliminating Toll pathway function. Toll signaling, however, appears unaffected. Assaying bacterial load post-infection in wild-type and mutant flies, we provide evidence that the Boms are required for resistance to, rather than tolerance of, infection. In addition, by generating and assaying a deletion of a smaller subset of the Bom genes, we find that there is overlap in Bom activity toward particular pathogens. Together, these studies deepen our understanding of Toll-mediated immunity and provide a new in vivo model for exploration of the innate immune effector repertoire.
Insects are one of the major sources of antimicrobial peptides/proteins (AMPs). Since observation of antimicrobial activity in the hemolymph of pupae from the giant silk moths Samia Cynthia and ...Hyalophora cecropia in 1974 and purification of first insect AMP (cecropin) from H. cecropia pupae in 1980, over 150 insect AMPs have been purified or identified. Most insect AMPs are small and cationic, and they show activities against bacteria and/or fungi, as well as some parasites and viruses. Insect AMPs can be classified into four families based on their structures or unique sequences: the α-helical peptides (cecropin and moricin), cysteine-rich peptides (insect defensin and drosomycin), proline-rich peptides (apidaecin, drosocin, and lebocin), and glycine-rich peptides/proteins (attacin and gloverin). Among insect AMPs, defensins, cecropins, proline-rich peptides, and attacins are common, while gloverins and moricins have been identified only in Lepidoptera. Most active AMPs are small peptides of 20–50 residues, which are generated from larger inactive precursor proteins or pro-proteins, but gloverins (~14 kDa) and attacins (~20 kDa) are large antimicrobial proteins. In this mini-review, we will discuss current knowledge and recent progress in several classes of insect AMPs, including insect defensins, cecropins, attacins, lebocins and other proline-rich peptides, gloverins, and moricins, with a focus on structural-functional relationships and their potential applications.
Peptides are fragments of proteins that carry out biological functions. They act as signaling entities via all domains of life and interfere with protein-protein interactions, which are indispensable ...in bio-processes. Short peptides include fundamental molecular information for a prelude to the symphony of life. They have aroused considerable interest due to their unique features and great promise in innovative bio-therapies. This work focusing on the current state-of-the-art short peptide-based therapeutical developments is the first global review written by researchers from all continents, as a celebration of 100 years of peptide therapeutics since the commencement of insulin therapy in the 1920s. Peptide "drugs" initially played only the role of hormone analogs to balance disorders. Nowadays, they achieve numerous biomedical tasks, can cross membranes, or reach intracellular targets. The role of peptides in bio-processes can hardly be mimicked by other chemical substances. The article is divided into independent sections, which are related to either the progress in short peptide-based theranostics or the problems posing challenge to bio-medicine. In particular, the SWOT analysis of short peptides, their relevance in therapies of diverse diseases, improvements in (bio)synthesis platforms, advanced nano-supramolecular technologies, aptamers, altered peptide ligands and in silico methodologies to overcome peptide limitations, modern smart bio-functional materials, vaccines, and drug/gene-targeted delivery systems are discussed.
Lipidation is a posttranslational modification of proteins that has also found its use in designing peptide drugs. The presence of a lipid group in peptides modulates their hydrophobicity, secondary ...structures and self-assembling propensities while retaining their abilities to bind to target receptors. Lipidation improves peptides' metabolic stability, membrane permeability, bioavailability, and changes peptides' pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. Herein, we review the applications of various lipidation strategies in peptide drug design, the effects of the chain length and anchor position of fatty acids in peptide lipidation, the physicochemical and biological properties of selected lipidated peptides and the synthesis strategies for peptide lipidation.
In the last 20 years, an increasing number of studies have been reported on membrane active peptides. These peptides exert their biological activity by interacting with the cell membrane, either to ...disrupt it and lead to cell lysis or to translocate through it to deliver cargos into the cell and reach their target. Membrane active peptides are attractive alternatives to currently used pharmaceuticals and the number of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and peptides designed for drug and gene delivery in the drug pipeline is increasing. Here, we focus on two most prominent classes of membrane active peptides; AMPs and cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). Antimicrobial peptides are a group of membrane active peptides that disrupt the membrane integrity or inhibit the cellular functions of bacteria, virus, and fungi. Cell penetrating peptides are another group of membrane active peptides that mainly function as cargo-carriers even though they may also show antimicrobial activity. Biophysical techniques shed light on peptide⁻membrane interactions at higher resolution due to the advances in optics, image processing, and computational resources. Structural investigation of membrane active peptides in the presence of the membrane provides important clues on the effect of the membrane environment on peptide conformations. Live imaging techniques allow examination of peptide action at a single cell or single molecule level. In addition to these experimental biophysical techniques, molecular dynamics simulations provide clues on the peptide⁻lipid interactions and dynamics of the cell entry process at atomic detail. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in experimental and computational investigation of membrane active peptides with particular emphasis on two amphipathic membrane active peptides, the AMP melittin and the CPP pVEC.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone secreted from the gastrointestinal tract. It is best known for its glucose-dependent insulinotropic effects. GLP-1 is secreted in its intact ...(active) form (7-36NH
) but is rapidly degraded by the dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) enzyme, converting >90% to the primary metabolite (9-36NH
) before reaching the targets via the circulation. Although originally thought to be inactive or antagonistic, GLP-1 9-36NH
may have independent actions, and it is therefore relevant to be able to measure it. Because reliable assays were not available, we developed a sandwich ELISA recognizing both GLP-1 9-36NH
and nonamidated GLP-1 9-37. The ELISA was validated using analytical assay validation guidelines and by comparing it to a subtraction-based method, hitherto employed for estimation of GLP-1 9-36NH
Its accuracy was evaluated from measurements of plasma obtained during intravenous infusions (1.5 pmol × kg
× min
) of GLP-1 7-36NH
in healthy subjects and patients with type 2 diabetes. Plasma levels of the endogenous GLP-1 metabolite increased during a meal challenge in patients with type 2 diabetes, and treatment with a DPP-4 inhibitor fully blocked its formation. Accurate measurements of the GLP-1 metabolite may contribute to understanding its physiology and role of GLP-1 in diabetes.
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