Human Pin1 is a key regulator of cell-cycle progression and plays growth-promoting roles in human cancers. High-affinity inhibitors of Pin1 may provide a unique opportunity for disrupting oncogenic pathways. Here we report two high-resolution X-ray crystal structures of human Pin1 bound to non-natural peptide inhibitors. The structures of the bound high-affinity peptides identify a type-I beta-turn conformation for Pin1 prolyl peptide isomerase domain-peptide binding and an extensive molecular interface for high-affinity recognition. Moreover, these structures suggest chemical elements that may further improve the affinity and pharmacological properties of future peptide-based Pin inhibitors. Finally, an intramolecular hydrogen bond observed in both peptide complexes mimics the cyclic conformation of FK506 and rapamycin. Both FK506 and rapamycin are clinically important inhibitors of other peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerases. This comparative discovery suggests that a cyclic peptide polyketide bridge, like that found in FK506 and rapamycin or a similar linkage, may significantly improve the binding affinity of structure-based Pin1 inhibitors.

Understanding the mechanism of protein folding requires a detailed knowledge of the structural properties of the barriers separating unfolded from native conformations. The S-peptide from ribonuclease S forms its α-helical structure only upon binding to the folded S-protein. We characterized the transition state for this binding-induced folding reaction at high resolution by determining the effect of site-specific backbone thioxylation and side-chain modifications on the kinetics and thermodynamics of the reaction, which allows us to monitor formation of backbone hydrogen bonds and side-chain interactions in the transition state. The experiments reveal that α-helical structure in the S-peptide is absent in the transition state of binding. Recognition between the unfolded S-peptide and the S-protein is mediated by loosely packed hydrophobic side-chain interactions in two well defined regions on the S-peptide. Close packing and helix formation occurs rapidly after binding. Introducing hydrophobic residues at positions outside the recognition region can drastically slow down association.phi-value analysis | protein-protein interaction | encounter complex formation | thioxo peptide bond C onformational changes in proteins play an important role in many biological processes. A detailed understanding of the mechanism of conformational transitions requires knowledge of the structural and dynamic properties of the initial and final states as well as the characterization of the transition barrier separating them. Site-directed mutagenesis proved a powerful tool to determine the properties of transition states for reactions involving proteins. Comparing the effect of amino acid replacements on kinetics and thermodynamics of a reaction identifies the interactions that are important for the rate-limiting step of a process. This method has been successfully applied to characterize transition states for protein folding (1, 2), for proteinprotein interactions (3-5) and for conformational changes in folded proteins (6). Protein folding transition states were shown to have native-like topology in the whole protein or in major parts of the structure (7-9) and it is commonly assumed that this includes the presence of native-like secondary structure (10, 11). Because site-directed mutagenesis can only modify amino acid side chains, it is still unclear at which stage of a folding reaction backbone hydrogen bonds in secondary structure elements are formed. Several approaches have been applied to test for secondary structure in protein folding transition states. Replacing amino acids by glycyl and prolyl residues leads to changes in backbone conformation, which was used to probe α-helix formation (12), but these replacements introduce additional effects due to altered side-chain interactions. Introducing ester bonds into the polypeptide backbone (13) also has multiple effects because it leads to the loss of a backbone hydrogen bonding donor and strongly increases conformational flexibility of the polypeptide backbone. Deuteration of a...

The peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerase Pin1 has been implicated in the development of cancer, Alzheimer's disease and asthma, but highly specific and potent Pin1 inhibitors remain to be identified. Here, by screening a combinatorial peptide library, we identified a series of nanomolar peptidic inhibitors. Nonproteinogenic amino acids, incorporated into 5-mer to 8-mer oligopeptides containing a d-phosphothreonine as a central template, yielded selective inhibitors that blocked cell cycle progression in HeLa cells in a dose-dependent manner.

FK506 and FK506-derived inhibitors of the FK506-binding protein (FKBP)-type peptidylprolyl cis/trans-isomerasesinhibition can mediate neurotrophic properties of FKBP ligands. The FKBP38-specific cycloheximide derivative, N-(N,N-dimethylcarboxamidomethyl)cycloheximide (DM-CHX) was synthesized and used in a rat model of transient focal cerebral ischemia. Accordingly, DM-CHX caused neuronal protection as well as neural stem cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation at a dosage of 27.2 g/kg. These effects were still dominant, if DM-CHX was applied 2-6 h post-insult. In parallel, sustained motor behavior deficits of diseased animals were improved by drug administration, revealing a potential therapeutic relevance. Thus, our results demonstrate that FKBP38 inhibition by DM-CHX regulates neuronal cell death and proliferation, providing a promising strategy for the treatment of acute and/or chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Interestingly, FK506 and its open chain derivatives were shown to display neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects in a wide range of animal models mimicking Parkinson disease, dementia, stroke, and nerve damage (3-11). For example, FK506 administration resulted in protection against ischemic brain injury (12), prevention of long term depression in the rat hippocampus (13), modulation of long term potentiation (14), prevention of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor desensitization (15), alteration in neurotransmitter release (16), and attenuation of glutamate neurotoxicity ex vivo (17). FK506 increased neurite outgrowth in SH-SY5Y and PC12 cell cultures, but also in primary cultures of chicken dorsal root ganglion and of hippocampal neurons, as well (8,18,19). However, the molecular mechanism of the FK506-mediated neuroprotection and neuroregeneration remained elusive. Members of the enzyme class of peptidyl prolyl cis/trans-isomerasesIn general, the interpretation of effects caused by FK506 in cells is difficult, because FK506 inhibits not only the enzymatic activity of FKBPs, but also the protein phosphatase activity of calcineurin (CaN, PP2B). CaN inhibition is mediated by complex formation with FK506⅐FKBP complexes and is thought to be the initial process leading to immunosuppression (20 -22). CaN inhibition by immunophilin-immunosuppressant complexes is used to prevent allograft rejection in transplantation medicine, to treat autoimmune diseases and to circumvent graft-versus-host diseases. Additionally, inhibition of the protein phosphatase was the proposed basis of FK506-mediated neuroprotection, because the FKBP ligand rapamycin, which has no effects on CaN activity, did not exhibit neuroprotective properties (12,17,23).In contrast, monofunctional inhibitors of FKBPs, such as GPI1046, GPI1048, GPI1485 (Guilford Pharmaceuticals and Amgen), and V10,367 (Vertex Pharmaceuticals) have been developed, that have no influence on CaN activity, while neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects of FK506 remain conserved. In the central nervous system, GPI1046 promotes protection and sprouting o...

Thioxoamide (thioamide) bonds are nearly isosteric substitutions for amides but have altered hydrogen-bonding and photophysical properties. They are thus well-suited backbone modifications for physicochemical studies on peptides and proteins. The effect of thioxoamides on protein structure and stability has not been subject to detailed experimental investigations up to date. We used alanine-based model peptides to test the influence of single thioxoamide bonds on alpha-helix structure and stability. The results from circular dichroism measurements show that thioxoamides are strongly helix-destabilizing. The effect of an oxo-to-thioxoamide backbone substitution is of similar magnitude as an alanine-to-glycine substitution resulting in a helix destabilization of about 7 kJ/mol. NMR characterization of a helical peptide with a thioxopeptide bond near the N-terminus indicates that the thioxopeptide moiety is tolerated in helical structures. The thioxoamide group is engaged in an i, i+4 hydrogen bond, arguing against the formation of a 3(10)-helical structure as suggested for the N-termini of alpha-helices in general and for thioxopeptides in particular.

psi[CS-NH]4-RNase S, a site specific modified version of RNase S obtained by thioxylation (O/S exchange) at the Ala4-Ala5- peptide bond, was used to evaluate the impact of protein backbone photoswitching on bioactivity. psi[CS-NH](4)-RNase S was yielded by recombination of the S-protein and the respective chemically synthesized thioxylated S-peptide derivative. Comparison with RNase S revealed similar thermodynamic stability of the complex and an unperturbed enzymatic activity toward cytidine 2',3'-cyclic monophosphate (cCMP). Reversible photoisomerization with a highly increased cis/trans isomer ratio of the thioxopeptide bond of psi[CS-NH](4)-RNase S in the photostationary state occurred under UV irradiation conditions (254 nm). The slow thermal reisomerization (t(1/2) = 180 s) permitted us to determine the enzymatic activity of cis psi[CS-NH](4)-RNase S by measurement of initial rates of cCMP hydrolysis. Despite thermodynamic stability of cis psi[CS-NH](4)-RNase S, its enzymatic activity is completely abolished but recovers after reisomerization. We conclude that the thioxopeptide bond modified polypeptide backbone represents a versatile probe for site-directed photoswitching of proteins.

a b s t r a c tAggregated forms of the amyloid-b peptide are hypothesized to act as the prime toxic agents in Alzheimer disease (AD). The in vivo amyloid-b peptide pool consists of both C-and N-terminally truncated or mutated peptides, and the composition thereof significantly determines AD risk. Other variations, such as biotinylation, are introduced as molecular tools to aid the understanding of disease mechanisms. Since these modifications have the potential to alter key aggregation properties of the amyloid-b peptide, we present a comparative study of the aggregation of a substantial set of the most common in vivo identified and in vitro produced amyloid-b peptides. Structured summary of protein interactions:Amyloid beta and Amyloid beta bind by fluorescence technology (View Interaction: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) Amyloid beta and Amyloid beta bind by transmission electron microscopy (View Interaction: 1, 2) Amyloid beta and Amyloid beta bind by filter binding (View Interaction: 1,2,3)

A series of thioxo compounds, thioacetamide, N-methylthioacetamide, a cyclic thioxoamide [(S)-5-thioxopyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid ethyl ester], two thioxylated dipeptides (Ala-Psi[CS-NH]-Ala and Phe-Psi[CS-NH]-Ala) and a thioxylated dodecapeptide (Lys-Glu-Thr-Ala-Ala-Ala-Lys-Phe-Glu-Arg-Gln-His-Psi[CS-NH]-Nle-Asp-Ser-Ser-Thr-Ser-Ala-Ala, or [thioxo-His(12)]-S-peptide; Nle = norleucine) are investigated by ultrafast spectroscopy in the visible and near UV. The different molecules show very similar absorption dynamics featuring a rise of a strong visible absorption band on the subpicosecond and picosecond time scale. The decay of the visible absorption occurs within 150-600 ps. The observations are interpreted by the ultrafast formation of triplet states and their decay on the subnanosecond time scale. Comparison with published IR experiments on N-methylthioacetamide indicates that the cis-trans isomerization around the thioxopeptide bond is terminated within less than 1 ns.