We have synthesized (CPC Scientific, Inc.) four stapled peptides, as depicted in Figure 2. We also synthesized the linear peptide, NYBSP-C, as a control. Besides, we purchased a linear peptide, SBP1, to use as a control, which was reported recently to bind to SARS-CoV-2 RBD with high affinity (KD = 47nM).
Abstract
Human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the primary receptor of SARS-CoV-2 to enter the host cells and start the infection process. Therefore, it is prudent to design therapeutics based on the critical binding region of ACE2, which is a ∼30 aa long helix with a kink in the middle. However, the small peptide in solution may lose its helical conformation and subsequently lose its binding potential to the SARS-CoV-2 RBD, which it utilizes to bind to that helical region. Here we report the design of four stapled peptides based on that helix, which is expected to bind to SARS-CoV-2 with high affinity and prevent the binding of the virus to the ACE2 receptor and disrupt the infection. All stapled peptides showed high helical contents (50-94% helicity). On the contrary, the linear control peptide NYBSP-C showed no helicity (19%). We have evaluated the peptides in a pseudovirus based single-cycle assay in HT1080 and human lung cells, A549. Three of the four stapled peptides showed potent antiviral activity in HT1080 (IC50: 1.9 – 4.1 µM) and A549 cells (IC50: 2.2 – 2.8 µM). It is noteworthy that the stapled peptide, NYBSP-3, which showed the least helical content, also had the lowest antiviral activity in both cell lines. The linear peptides NYBSP-C and SBP1, reported recently to bind SARS-CoV-2 with KD of ∼47nM affinity, showed no antiviral activity. Most significantly, none of the stapled peptides show any appreciable cytotoxicity at the highest dose tested. We determined the proteolytic stability of one of the most active stapled peptides, NYBSP-4, in human plasma, which showed a half-life (T1/2) of >289 min.
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Development of a selective, sensitive and robust oxyntomodulin dual monoclonal antibody immunoassay.
Umberger, T.S., Ming, W., Cox, J.M., Konrad, R.J. and Siegel, R.W. Bioanalysis 14, no. 18 (2022): 1229-1239.
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly & Company, Indianapolis, IN46285, USA
Human K2 EDTA and P800 plasma (500 μl) was spiked with proglucagon 33–61, 35–61 and 36–61 stable-isotope-labeled internal standard peptides (CPC Scientific, custom order) and diluted with I buffer (25 mmol/l Tris-HCl, 25 mmol/l HEPES, 300 mmol/l NaCl, 0.1% (v/v) octyl β-D-glucopyranoside, pH 7.5).
Line, J.E.; Seal, B.S.; Garrish, J.K. Appl. Microbiol. 2022, 2, 688–700.
Peptides were synthesized using standard solid-phase(Fmoc) chemistry with a peptide synthesizer (CPC Scientific Inc., Sunnyvale, CA 94089,USA, C12K-2β12 [..]
Kirk, N.S., Chen, Q., Wu, Y.G., Asante, A.L., Hu, H., Espinosa, J.F., Martínez-Olid, F., Margetts, M.B., Mohammed, F.A., Kiselyov, V.V. and Barrett, D.G. Nature Communications 13, no. 1 (2022): 5695.
- Eli Lilly and Company, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA.
Peptides were synthesized under contract by CPC Scientific, except for the N-terminally acetylated version of IM172N22 and the Glu3Arg, Glu3Ala, Glu4Arg, Glu4Ala, Glu5Ala, Glu5Arg, Trp6Ala, Gln8Ala, Ile9Ala, Glu10Ala, Glu10Arg and Tyr14Ala mutants of IM172N22
Coskun, T., Urva, S., Roell, W.C., Qu, H., Loghin, C., Moyers, J.S., O’Farrell, L.S., Briere, D.A., Sloop, K.W., Thomas, M.K. and Pirro, V. Cell Metabolism 34, no. 9 (2022): 1234-1247.
- Eli Lilly and Company, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA
Homologous and heterologous competition experiments were performed with non-radioactive peptide analogues[127I]-Tyr1-GIP(1-42) and [127]-Tyr10-GIP(1-42) to ensure quantification of the high-affinity binding site of the GIPR. Peptide analogues were generated using synthetic [127I]-Tyr amino acid building blocks (CPC Scientific).
Cecil, D.L., Curtis, B., Gad, E., Gormley, M., Timms, A.E., Corulli, L., Bos, R., Damle, R.N., Sepulveda, M.A. and Disis, M.L. Scientific Reports 12, no. 1 (2022): 13618.
- Cancer Vaccine Institute, University of Washington, 850 Republican Street, Brotman Bld., 2nd Floor, Box 358050, Seattle, WA 98195-8050, USA.
- Janssen Research and Development LLC, Spring House, PA, USA.
- Janssen Vaccines and Prevention, Leiden, The Netherlands.
The peptides were constructed and purified by high-performance liquid chromatography (> 90% pure; CPC Scientific).
Zonari, A., Brace, L.E., Alencar-Silva, T., Porto, W.F., Foyt, D., Guiang, M., Cruz, E.A.O., Franco, O.L., Oliveira, C.R., Boroni, M. and Carvalho, J.L. Toxicology Reports 9 (2022): 1632-1638.
Peptide 14 (ETAKHWLKGI) (Sup. Fig. 1) was purchased from CPC Scientific Inc. (USA), which synthesized the peptide by solid phase (Fmoc) on a Rink amide resin, with > 95% purity, in the form of acetate salt.
CPC Scientific Inc., a leading global peptide CRDMO (Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing Organization) has invested in a new peptide API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) manufacturing site, bringing many new jobs to Rocklin, California. The 41,000 sq ft facility located at 3880 Atherton Rd, Rocklin, CA 95765 will be utilized to manufacture clinical to commercial grade peptide products for increased manufacturing capacity and will diversify CPC Scientific’s supply chain.
CPC Scientific is entering an exciting period of growth and innovation for peptide and oligonucleotide therapeutic development and manufacturing, and we will continue to provide therapeutic APIs to pharmaceutical and biotech companies around the world. We are very pleased to partner with the City of Rocklin, California to bring manufacturing and Life-Science jobs to local American workers,” said Shawn Lee, PhD, CEO.
Ikeda, Z., Kakegawa, K., Kikuchi, F., Itono, S., Oki, H., Yashiro, H., Hiyoshi, H., Tsuchimori, K., Hamagami, K., Watanabe, M. and Sasaki, M. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 65, no. 12 (2022): 8456-8477.
- Research, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, 26-1, Muraokahigashi 2-chome, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
Subsequently, 5FAM–Abu–Gly–Asp–Asp–Asp–Lys–Ile–Val–Gly–Gly–Lys(CPQ2)–Lys–Lys–NH2 (purity: 97.2%, CPC Scientific, Inc.) was diluted with an assay buffer to prepare a 2.1 μM substrate solution.
The transferred energy from a fluorescent donor is converted into molecular vibrations if the acceptor is a non-fluorescent dye (quencher). When the FRET is terminated (by separating donor and acceptor), an increase of donor fluorescence can be detected. The design and synthesis work at CPC for FRET and TR-FRET peptide substrates include modification of sequences, selection of donor/quencher pairs, improvement of FRET substrate solubility and quenching efficiency.