In Silico-Designed G-Quadruplex Targeting Peptide Attenuates VEGF-A Expression, Preventing Angiogenesis in Cancer Cells

IF 3.2 4区 医学 Q2 BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Nilanjan Banerjee, Laboni Roy, Suman Panda, Tanaya Roychowdhury, Subhrangsu Chatterjee
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) is a growth factor and pluripotent cytokine that promotes angiogenesis in cancer cells, transitioning to an angiogenic phenotype. The binding of VEGF-A protein to VEGF receptors (VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2) initiates a cascade of events that stimulates angiogenesis by facilitating the migration and enhancing the permeability of endothelial cells. The proximal promoter of the VEGF gene encompasses a 36-base pair region (from −85 to −50) that can form a stable G-quadruplex (G4) structure in specific conditions. The activity of the VEGF promoter is reliant on this structure. During cancer progression, the VEGF-A G4 succumbs to cellular pressure and fails to maintain a stable structure. This shifts the balance to form a duplex structure, increasing the transcription rate. Earlier research has tried to develop small-molecule ligands to target and stabilise G4, demonstrating the possibility of suppressing VEGF expression. However, they either lack specificity or toxic. Peptides, on the other hand, are significantly less studied as G4 binders. Here, we designed a peptide that successfully binds and stabilises the VEGF-A G4 while reducing its gene expression. This further alters the expression fate of the VEGF-A signalling cascade and blocks angiogenesis in cancer cells. We employed high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulation to elucidate the chemical details of G4-peptide interaction. In addition, we used qPCR and western blot techniques to investigate the expression pattern of the molecules implicated in the VEGF-A signalling cascade. The study explores the intricate relationship between peptides and quadruplex structures, revealing valuable insights that can improve the design of pharmacophores targeting the dynamic quadruplex structure. The results of our study are encouraging, opening possibilities for advancements in, the characterisation and optimisation of peptides as G-quadruplex ligands in view of their potential therapeutic uses.

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来源期刊
Chemical Biology & Drug Design
Chemical Biology & Drug Design 医学-生化与分子生物学
CiteScore
5.10
自引率
3.30%
发文量
164
审稿时长
4.4 months
期刊介绍: Chemical Biology & Drug Design is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that is dedicated to the advancement of innovative science, technology and medicine with a focus on the multidisciplinary fields of chemical biology and drug design. It is the aim of Chemical Biology & Drug Design to capture significant research and drug discovery that highlights new concepts, insight and new findings within the scope of chemical biology and drug design.
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