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Red-light modulated ortho-chloro azobenzene photoswitch for peptide stapling via aromatic substitution.

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Peer-reviewed

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Abstract

The application of peptide stapling using photoswitchable linkers has gained notable interest for potential therapeutic applications. However, many existing methodologies of photoswitching still rely on the use of tissue-damaging and weakly skin-penetrating UV light. Herein, we describe the development of a tetra-ortho-chloro azobenzene linker that was successfully used for cysteine-selective peptide stapling via SNAr. This linker facilitates precise photocontrol of peptide structure via trans to cis isomerisation under red light irradiation. As a proof-of-concept, we applied the developed peptide stapling platform to a modified PMI peptide, targeting the inhibition of MDM2/p53 protein-protein interaction (PPI). Biophysical characterisation of the photoswitchable peptide by competitive fluorescence polarisation showed a significant difference in affinity between the trans and cis isomer for the p53-interacting domain of the human MDM2. Remarkably, the cis isomer displayed a >240-fold higher potency. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest reported difference in binding affinity between isoforms of a photoswitchable therapeutic peptide. Overall, our findings demonstrate the potential of this novel photoswitchable peptide stapling system for tuneable, selective modulation of PPIs via visible-light isomerisation with deeply-tissue penetrating red light.

Description

Acknowledgements: M. K. acknowledges EPSRC for funding (SynTech EP/S024220/1). F. J. P. A. gratefully acknowledges both postdoctoral fellowships from Fundación Ramón Areces (reference BEVP31A6160) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (MSCA-IF-2020, grant number 101025271). N. A. acknowledges a studentship from AstraZeneca. T. S. acknowledges EU funding by the H2020-MSCA-RISE-2020 through the ALISE project (grant 101007256). The Spring group research was supported by grants from UKRI. For the purpose of Open Access, the author has applied a CC BY public copyright licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) version arising. Authors are also grateful to Dr Rohan Eapen for the purification of MDM2 protein, Dr Katherine Stott for interpretation of CD spectra and the NMR team at Cambridge for measuring advanced NMR experiments (Andrew Mason, Duncan Howe and Peter Gierth).

Keywords

3405 Organic Chemistry, 34 Chemical Sciences, 5.1 Pharmaceuticals

Journal Title

RSC Chem Biol

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2633-0679
2633-0679

Volume Title

Publisher

The Royal Society of Chemistry
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/S024220/1)
European Commission Horizon 2020 (H2020) Marie Sk?odowska-Curie actions (101007256)
European Commission Horizon 2020 (H2020) Marie Sk?odowska-Curie actions (101025271)
EPSRC (EP/W001233/1)