Paralog-selective ligands for bcl-2 proteins

J Am Chem Soc. 2005 Feb 16;127(6):1596-7. doi: 10.1021/ja0441211.

Abstract

There is considerable current interest in molecules that bind intra- or extracellular protein surfaces and inhibit protein-protein interactions. Previously we have reported that miniature proteins based on pancreatic-fold polypeptides can recognize even shallow alpha-helix binding clefts with high affinity and selectivity against unrelated proteins. One such miniature protein, PPBH3-1, binds the anti-apoptotic protein paralogs Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL with nanomolar affinity and a DeltaDeltaG = 1.2 kcal.mol-1 preference for Bcl-XL. Here we describe the directed evolution of PPBH3-1 into two new miniature proteins, PPBH3-5 and PPBH3-6, whose paralog specificity is reversed relative to PPBH3-1. PPBH3-5 and PPBH3-6 bind Bcl-2 with nanomolar affinity and a DeltaDeltaG = 0.9-1.3 kcal.mol-1 preference for Bcl-2 over Bcl-XL. Experiments with Bcl-XL variants suggest that PPBH3-5 and PPBH3-6 achieve high paralog specificity by exploiting subtle structural or electrostatic differences in the Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL molecular landscapes. PPBH3-5 and PPBH3-6 may have unique applications as early examples of nonnatural ligands that interact selectively with Bcl-2 proteins.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Fluorescence Polarization
  • Ligands
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Library
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / chemistry
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism*
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Thermodynamics
  • bcl-X Protein

Substances

  • Ligands
  • Peptide Library
  • Peptides
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • bcl-X Protein