Derivation of Self-inhibitory Helical Peptides to Target Rho-kinase Dimerization in Cerebrovascular Malformation: Structural Bioinformatics Analysis and Peptide Binding Assay

Autor: Weiwei Dai, Shiming Ju, Heli Cao, Gan Wang, Dianqi Hou, Shiwen Chen, Zhiqiang Li, Heng-Li Tian, Wen-Wei Gao, Xu-Yang Wang, Yan Guo, Lin Zhang
Rok vydání: 2016
Předmět:
Zdroj: Molecular Informatics. 35:262-267
ISSN: 1868-1743
DOI: 10.1002/minf.201501022
Popis: Rho-kinase dimerization is essential for its kinase activity and biological function; disruption of the dimerization has recently been established as a new and promising therapeutics strategy for cerebrovascular malformation (CM). Based on Rho-kinase dimer crystal structure we herein combined in silico analysis and in vitro assay to rationally derive self-inhibitory peptides from the dimerization interface. Three peptides namely Hlp1, Hlp2 and Hlp3 were successfully designed that have potential capability to rebind at the dimerization domain of Rho-kinase. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that these peptides are helically structured when bound to Rho-kinase, but exhibit partially intrinsic disorder in unbound state. Binding free energy (BFE) analysis suggested that the peptides have a satisfactory energetic profile to interact with Rho-kinase. The computational findings were then substantiated by fluorescence anisotropy assays, conforming that the helical peptides can bind tightly to Rho-kinase with affinity KD at micromolar level. These designed peptides are considered as lead molecular entities that can be further modified and optimized to obtain more potent peptidomimetics as self-competitors to disrupt Rho-kinase dimerization in CM.
Databáze: OpenAIRE