Iterative optimization yields Mcl-1-targeting stapled peptides with selective cytotoxicity to Mcl-1-dependent cancer cells

Bcl-2 family proteins regulate apoptosis, and aberrant interactions of overexpressed antiapoptotic family members such as Mcl-1 promote cell transformation, cancer survival, and resistance to chemotherapy. Discovering potent and selective Mcl-1 inhibitors that can relieve apoptotic blockades is thus...

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Main Authors: Bird, Gregory H. (Author), Ryan, Jeremy A. (Author), Godes, Marina (Author), Pritz, Jonathan R. (Author), Letai, Anthony (Author), Walensky, Loren D. (Author), Rezaei Araghi, Raheleh (Contributor), Jenson, Justin Michael (Contributor), Grant, Robert A (Contributor), Keating, Amy E. (Author)
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering (Contributor), Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biology (Contributor), Keating, Amy E (Contributor)
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: National Academy of Sciences (U.S.), 2018-10-15T17:25:06Z.
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Online Access:Get fulltext
LEADER 03074 am a22003373u 4500
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042 |a dc 
100 1 0 |a Bird, Gregory H.  |e author 
100 1 0 |a Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biology  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Rezaei Araghi, Raheleh  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Jenson, Justin Michael  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Grant, Robert A  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Keating, Amy E  |e contributor 
700 1 0 |a Ryan, Jeremy A.  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Godes, Marina  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Pritz, Jonathan R.  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Letai, Anthony  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Walensky, Loren D.  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Rezaei Araghi, Raheleh  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Jenson, Justin Michael  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Grant, Robert A  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Keating, Amy E.  |e author 
245 0 0 |a Iterative optimization yields Mcl-1-targeting stapled peptides with selective cytotoxicity to Mcl-1-dependent cancer cells 
260 |b National Academy of Sciences (U.S.),   |c 2018-10-15T17:25:06Z. 
856 |z Get fulltext  |u http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/118480 
520 |a Bcl-2 family proteins regulate apoptosis, and aberrant interactions of overexpressed antiapoptotic family members such as Mcl-1 promote cell transformation, cancer survival, and resistance to chemotherapy. Discovering potent and selective Mcl-1 inhibitors that can relieve apoptotic blockades is thus a high priority for cancer research. An attractive strategy for disabling Mcl-1 involves using designer peptides to competitively engage its binding groove, mimicking the structural mechanism of action of native sensitizer BH3-only proteins. We transformed Mcl-1-binding peptides into α-helical, cell-penetrating constructs that are selectively cytotoxic to Mcl-1-dependent cancer cells. Critical to the design of effective inhibitors was our introduction of an all-hydrocarbon cross-link or "staple" that stabilizes α-helical structure, increases target binding affinity, and independently confers binding specificity for Mcl-1 over related Bcl-2 family paralogs. Two crystal structures of complexes at 1.4 Å and 1.9 Å resolution demonstrate how the hydrophobic staple induces an unanticipated structural rearrangement in Mcl-1 upon binding. Systematic sampling of staple location and iterative optimization of peptide sequence in accordance with established design principles provided peptides that target intracellular Mcl-1. This work provides proof of concept for the development of potent, selective, and cell-permeable stapled peptides for therapeutic targeting of Mcl-1 in cancer, applying a design and validation work-flow applicable to a host of challenging biomedical targets. Keywords: stapled peptide; Mcl-1; apoptosis; BH3 mimetic; inhibitor 
520 |a United States. Department of Energy (Contract DE-AC02-06CH11357) 
520 |a National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant R01 GM110048) 
655 7 |a Article 
773 |t Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences