{"title":"Unnatural Peptide Assemblies Rapidly Deplete Cholesterol and Potently Inhibit Cancer Cells","authors":"Qiuxin Zhang, Weiyi Tan, Zhiyu Liu, Yichi Zhang, Wei-Shao Wei, Seth Fraden and Bing Xu*, ","doi":"10.1021/jacs.4c03101","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p >Cholesterol-rich membranes play a pivotal role in cancer initiation and progression, necessitating innovative approaches to target these membranes for cancer inhibition. Here we report the first case of unnatural peptide (<b>1</b>) assemblies capable of depleting cholesterol and inhibiting cancer cells. Peptide <b>1</b> self-assembles into micelles and is rapidly taken up by cancer cells, especially when combined with an acute cholesterol-depleting agent (MβCD). Click chemistry has confirmed that <b>1</b> depletes cell membrane cholesterol. It localizes in membrane-rich organelles, including the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and lysosomes. Furthermore, <b>1</b> potently inhibits malignant cancer cells, working synergistically with cholesterol-lowering agents. Control experiments have confirmed that C-terminal capping and unnatural amino acid residues (i.e., BiP) are essential for both cholesterol depletion and potent cancer cell inhibition. This work highlights unnatural peptide assemblies as a promising platform for targeting the cell membrane in controlling cell fates.</p>","PeriodicalId":49,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Chemical Society","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":14.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of the American Chemical Society","FirstCategoryId":"92","ListUrlMain":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.4c03101","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Cholesterol-rich membranes play a pivotal role in cancer initiation and progression, necessitating innovative approaches to target these membranes for cancer inhibition. Here we report the first case of unnatural peptide (1) assemblies capable of depleting cholesterol and inhibiting cancer cells. Peptide 1 self-assembles into micelles and is rapidly taken up by cancer cells, especially when combined with an acute cholesterol-depleting agent (MβCD). Click chemistry has confirmed that 1 depletes cell membrane cholesterol. It localizes in membrane-rich organelles, including the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and lysosomes. Furthermore, 1 potently inhibits malignant cancer cells, working synergistically with cholesterol-lowering agents. Control experiments have confirmed that C-terminal capping and unnatural amino acid residues (i.e., BiP) are essential for both cholesterol depletion and potent cancer cell inhibition. This work highlights unnatural peptide assemblies as a promising platform for targeting the cell membrane in controlling cell fates.
期刊介绍:
The flagship journal of the American Chemical Society, known as the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), has been a prestigious publication since its establishment in 1879. It holds a preeminent position in the field of chemistry and related interdisciplinary sciences. JACS is committed to disseminating cutting-edge research papers, covering a wide range of topics, and encompasses approximately 19,000 pages of Articles, Communications, and Perspectives annually. With a weekly publication frequency, JACS plays a vital role in advancing the field of chemistry by providing essential research.