Chemical and Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Peptide and Protein Therapeutics Conjugated with Human N-Glycans.

Glycosylation is one of the most ubiquitous post-translational modifications. It affects the structure and function of peptides/proteins and consequently has a significant impact on various biological events. However, the structural complexity and heterogeneity of glycopeptides/proteins caused by the diversity of glycan structures and glycosylation sites complicates the detailed elucidation of glycan function and hampers their clinical applications. To address these challenges, chemical and/or enzyme-assisted synthesis methods have been developed to realize glycopeptides/proteins with well-defined glycan morphologies. In particular, N-glycans are expected to be useful for improving the solubility, in vivo half-life and aggregation of bioactive peptides/proteins that have had limited clinical applications so far due to their short duration of action in the blood and unsuitable physicochemical properties. Chemical glycosylation performed in a post-synthetic procedure can be used to facilitate the development of glycopeptide/protein analogues or mimetics that are superior to the original molecules in terms of physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. N-glycans are used to modify targets because they are highly biodegradable and biocompatible and have structures that already exist in the human body. On the practical side, from a quality control perspective, close attention should be paid to their structural homogeneity when they are to be applied to pharmaceuticals.

ELISA-based highly sensitive assay system for the detection of endogenous NGLY1 activity.

Cytosolic peptide:N-glycanase (NGLY1, PNGase) is an enzyme that cleaves N-glycans from misfolded glycoproteins. In 2012, a human genetic disorder, NGLY1 deficiency, was first reported to be caused by mutations of the NGLY1 gene. Since then, there has been rapid progresses on NGLY1 biology, and gene therapy has been proposed as a promising therapeutic option for NGLY1 deficiency. While a plasma/urine biomarker has also been developed for this disease, detection of NGLY1 activity could be another viable option for early diagnosis of NGLY1 deficiency. Thus far, several in vitro and in cellulo NGLY1 assays have been reported, but those assay systems have several issues that must be addressed in order to develop an assay system compatible for routine clinical examination. Here, we show a facile, highly sensitive in vitro assay system that could be used to detect NGLY1 activity by utilizing its sequence editing function, i.e. conversion of glycosylated Asn into Asp, followed by a detection of newly generated epitope (HA)-tag by anti-HA antibody. Using this ELISA-based assay, we detected endogenous NGLY1 activity in as little as 2 µg of crude extract, which is the equivalent of 5 × 103 cells. Our system also detects NGLY1 activity from cells with compromised NGLY1 activity, such as iPS cells from patient samples. This assay system could be applied in future clinical examinations to achieve an early diagnosis of NGLY1 deficiency.

Engineering of a Biologically Active Glycosylated Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Analogue.

Glucagon-like peptide receptor (GLP-1R) agonists (e.g., semaglutide, liraglutide, etc.) are efficient treatment options for people with type 2 diabetes and obesity. The manufacturing method to produce semaglutide, a blockbuster GLP-1 drug on the market, involves multistep synthesis. The large peptide has a hydrophobic fatty acid side chain that makes it sparingly soluble, and its handling, purification, and large-scale production difficult. The growing demand for semaglutide that the manufacturer is not capable of addressing immediately triggered a worldwide shortage. Thus, we have developed a potential alternative analogue to semaglutide by replacing the hydrophobic fatty acid with a hydrophilic human complex-type biantennary oligosaccharide. Our novel glycoGLP-1 analogue was isolated in an ∼10-fold higher yield compared with semaglutide. Importantly, our glycoGLP-1 analogue possessed a similar GLP-1R activation potency to semaglutide and was biologically active in vivo in reducing glucose levels to a similar degree as semaglutide.

Development of a fluorescence and quencher-based FRET assay for detection of endogenous peptide:N-glycanase/NGLY1 activity.

Cytosolic peptide:N-glycanase (PNGase/NGLY1 in mammals) catalyzes deglycosylation of N-glycans on glycoproteins. A genetic disorder caused by mutations in the NGLY1 gene leads to NGLY1 deficiency with symptoms including motor deficits and neurological problems. Effective therapies have not been established, though, a recent study used the administration of an adeno-associated viral vector expressing human NGLY1 to dramatically rescue motor functions in young Ngly1-/- rats. Thus, early therapeutic intervention may improve symptoms arising from central nervous system dysfunction, and assay methods for measuring NGLY1 activity in biological samples are critical for early diagnostics. In this study, we established an assay system for plate-based detection of endogenous NGLY1 activity using a FRET-based probe. Using this method, we revealed significant changes in NGLY1 activity in rat brains during aging. This novel assay offers reliable disease diagnostics and provides valuable insights into the regulation of PNGase/NGLY1 activity in diverse organisms under different stress conditions.

Glycosylation Improves the Proteolytic Stability of Exenatide.

Exenatide was the first marketed GLP-1 receptor agonist for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Modification to the chemical structure or the formulation has the potential to increase the stability of exenatide. We introduced human complex-type sialyloligosaccharide to exenatide at the native Asn28 position. The synthesis was achieved using both solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) and Omniligase-1-mediated chemoenzymatic ligation. The results demonstrate that glycosylation increases the proteolytic stability of exenatide while retaining its full biological activity.

Better Peptides via Chemical Glycosylation: Somatostatin Analogues Having a Human Complex-Type N-Glycan with Improved Drug Properties.

Somatostatin (somatotropin release-inhibiting factor, SRIF) is a growth hormone inhibitory factor in the form of a 14- or 28-amino acid peptide. SRIF affects several physiological functions through its action on five distinct SRIF receptor subtypes (sst1-5). Native SRIF has only limited clinical applications due to its rapid degradation in plasma. To overcome this obstacle, we have developed glycosylated SRIF analogues that possess not only metabolic stability but also high affinity to all five receptor subtypes by attaching human complex-type oligosaccharides. Such glycosylated SRIF analogues with improved pharmacokinetic profiles could be potent and novel therapeutic drugs for SRIF-related diseases in which several SRIF receptor subtypes are closely involved, and also shed light on new indications. Our results show that chemical glycosylation can be a powerful tool for the development of peptide and protein analogues superior to the original molecules with enhanced drug properties.

Chemical Synthesis and Characterization of a Nonfibrillating Glycoglucagon.

The current commercially available glucagon formulations for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia must be reconstituted immediately prior to use, owing to the susceptibility of glucagon to fibrillation and aggregation in an aqueous solution. This results in the inconvenience of handling, misuse, and wastage of this drug. To address these issues, we synthesized a glycosylated glucagon analogue in which the 25th residue (Trp) was replaced with a cysteine (Cys) and a Br-disialyloligosaccharide was conjugated at the Cys thiol moiety. The resulting analogue, glycoglucagon, is a highly potent full agonist at the glucagon receptor. Importantly, glycoglucagon exhibits markedly reduced propensity for fibrillation and enhanced thermal and metabolic stability. This novel analogue is thus a valuable lead for producing stable liquid glucagon formulations that will improve patient compliance and minimize wastage.

Spontaneously Cleavable Glycosylated Linker Capable of Extended Release of Its Conjugated Peptide.

Reversibly glycosylated conjugates were developed by adding complex-type N-linked oligosaccharides to peptides through self-cleavable linkers with the aim of increasing the solubility and stability of the peptides in plasma. The amino or carboxyl group of the peptide was connected to a glycosylated Ascendis or ester/thioester-type linker, respectively. Use of the linkers enabled extended release of the peptides depending on the pH and temperature of the buffer according to a first order reaction, and their cleavage rate was also affected by the structure of the peptide-linker coupling. This tunability will allow optimization towards the intended use of the peptides to be released. Furthermore, because glycosylation is a reliable method of greatly increasing the solubility of a peptide, the presented glycosylated linkers are expected to permit the preparation of antibodies in aqueous buffers even in the case of sparingly soluble antigen peptides.

A Novel Prodrug of a γ-Glutamylcyclotransferase Inhibitor Suppresses Cancer Cell Proliferation in†vitro and Inhibits Tumor Growth in a Xenograft Mouse Model of Prostate Cancer.

γ-Glutamylcyclotransferase (GGCT) depletion inhibits cancer cell proliferation. However, whether the enzymatic activity of GGCT is critical for the regulation of cancer cell growth remains unclear. In this study, a novel diester-type cell-permeable prodrug, pro-GA, was developed based on the structure of N-glutaryl-l-alanine (GA), by structure optimization using temporary fluorophore-tagged prodrug candidates. The antiproliferative activity of pro-GA was demonstrated using GGCT-overexpressing NIH-3T3 cells and human cancer cells including MCF7, HL-60, and PC3 cells. By contrast, normal cells were not significantly affected by pro-GA treatment. Moreover, pro-GA administration exhibited anticancer effects in a xenograft model using immunocompromised mice inoculated with PC3 cells. These results indicate that the enzymatic activity of GGCT accelerates tumor growth and that GGCT inhibition is a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of GGCT-overexpressing tumors.

Ordered self-assembly of the collagenous domain of adiponectin with noncovalent interactions via glycosylated lysine residues.

Adiponectin, an anti-atherogenic and insulin-sensitizing adipokine, forms multiple isoforms including a trimer, a hexamer and heavier oligomers (mainly octadecamer) that determine their biological activities. We designed 89-residue peptides containing modifications found in the collagenous domain of native adiponectin. Circular dichroism and analytical ultracentrifugation measurements showed that the peptide bearing glucosyl-galactosyl-hydroxylysine residues forms a stable collagen-like triple helical structure and spontaneously assembled into an octadecamer. An assembly model mediated by noncovalent interactions via glycosylated lysine residues for the octadecamer was constructed. Our findings clarified an essential role of glycosyl modifications to coordinate the ordered self-assembly of adiponectin.

Development of a sufficiently reactive thioalkylester involving the side-chain thiol of cysteine applicable for kinetically controlled ligation.

N(α) -Trifluoroacetyl-Cys-Leu-NH2 (TfaC-Leu-NH2 ) was incorporated into thioesters through its side-chain thiol group to develop a more reactive peptide-thioester than the commonly used peptide-3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)-thioester. The TfaC-thioester could be readily synthesized by solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) with Boc chemistry using in situ neutralization protocols in sufficient yield without any side reaction associated with the use of TfaC. This thioester proved to display a much higher reactivity in the thiol-free native chemical ligation (NCL) reaction than the MPA-thioester and to be comparable to the thioarylester, such as the 4-mercaptophenylacetic acid (MPAA)-thioester, in terms of the ligation rate. We were able to demonstrate the usefulness of the TfaC-thioester by using it to synthesize neuromedin S via a one-pot sequential NCL approach followed by desulfurization. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 106: 503-511, 2016.

Regioselective formation of multiple disulfide bonds with the aid of postsynthetic S-tritylation.

Disulfide bond formation performed in solution with the tert-butylthio (StBu) group was accomplished using a free peptide having only the sulfhydryl groups of Cys protected with the aid of postsynthetic S-tritylation. This facilitated removal of the StBu group with subsequent disulfide formation without any difficulty. This strategy using the StBu group in combination with the widely used acetamidomethyl (Acm), 4-methylbenzyl/4-methoxybenzyl (Meb/Mob), and trityl (Trt) groups enables reliable and regioselective synthesis of multicystine peptides.

Synthesis of cysteine-rich peptides by native chemical ligation without use of exogenous thiols.

Native chemical ligation (NCL) performed without resorting to the use of thiol additives was demonstrated to be an efficient and effective procedure for synthesizing Cys-rich peptides. This method using tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) as a reducing agent facilitates the ligation reaction even at the Thr-Cys or Ile-Cys site and enables one-pot synthesis of Cys-rich peptides throughout NCL and oxidative folding.

A GGCT fluorogenic probe: design, synthesis and application to cancer-related cells.

Cancer-related γ-glutamyl cyclotransferase (GGCT) specifically converts γ-glutamyl amino acids (γ-Glu-Xaa) into pyroglutamate and the corresponding amino acids (Xaa). Here we report a novel GGCT fluorogenic probe "LISA-101" containing a masked O-acylated fluorophore "resorufin" on the side chain of the P amino acid (Xaa). Upon GGCT treatment, the P amino acid was liberated and spontaneously released the intact fluorophore. Thus, the fluorescence was regained. LISA-101 will expand the strategies for cancer studies.

Postsynthetic modification of unprotected peptides via S-tritylation reaction.

Tritylation using trityl alcohol (Trt-OH) in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) is a convenient and efficient procedure that can offer S-protection of the Cys located in fully unprotected peptides. The procedure simply requires Trt-OH and HFIP to selectively promote S-tritylation in the presence of peptide nucleophilic functionalities.

Non-pretreated O-acyl isopeptide of amyloid ß peptide 1-42 is monomeric with a random coil structure but starts to aggregate in a concentration-dependent manner.

An isopeptide of amyloid ß peptide 1-42 (isoAß42) was considered as a non-aggregative precursor molecule for the highly aggregative Aß42. It has been applied to biological studies after several pretreatments. Here we report that isoAß42 is monomeric with a random coil structure at 40 µM without any pretreatment. But we also found that isoAß42 retains a slight aggregative nature, which is significantly weaker than that of the native Aß42.

O-acyl isopeptide method: development of an O-acyl isodipeptide unit for Boc SPPS and its application to the synthesis of Aß1-42 isopeptide.

The O-acyl isopeptide method was developed for the efficient preparation of difficult sequence-containing peptide. Furthermore, development of the O-acyl isodipeptide unit for Fmoc chemistry simplified its synthetic procedure by solid-phase peptide synthesis. Here, we report a novel isodipeptide unit for Boc chemistry, and the unit was successfully applied to the synthesis of amyloid ß peptide. Combination of Boc chemistry and the isodipeptide unit would be an effective method for the synthesis of many difficult peptides. Copyright © 2014 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evaluation of acid-labile S-protecting groups to prevent Cys racemization in Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis.

Phosphonium and uronium salt-based reagents enable efficient and effective coupling reactions and are indispensable in peptide chemistry, especially in machine-assisted SPPS. However, after the activating and coupling steps with these reagents in the presence of tertiary amines, Fmoc derivatives of Cys are known to be considerably racemized during their incorporation. To avoid this side reaction, a coupling method mediated by phosphonium/uronium reagents with a weaker base, such as 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine, than the ordinarily used DIEA or that by carbodiimide has been recommended. However, these methods are appreciably inferior to the standard protocol applied for SPPS, that is, a 1 min preactivation procedure of coupling with phosphonium or uronium reagents/DIEA in DMF, in terms of coupling efficiency, and also the former method cannot reduce racemization of Cys(Trt) to an acceptable level (<1.0%) even when the preactivation procedure is omitted. Here, the 4,4'-dimethoxydiphenylmethyl and 4-methoxybenzyloxymethyl groups were demonstrated to be acid-labile S-protecting groups that can suppress racemization of Cys to an acceptable level (<1.0%) when the respective Fmoc derivatives are incorporated via the standard SPPS protocol of phosphonium or uronium reagents with the aid of DIEA in DMF. Furthermore, these protecting groups significantly reduced the rate of racemization compared to the Trt group even in the case of microwave-assisted SPPS performed at a high temperature.

Big angiotensin-25: a novel glycosylated angiotensin-related peptide isolated from human urine.

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS), including angiotensin II (Ang II), plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure and body fluid balance. Consequently, the RAS has emerged as a key target for treatment of kidney and cardiovascular disease. In a search for bioactive peptides using an antibody against the N-terminal portion of Ang II, we identified and characterized a novel angiotensin-related peptide from human urine as a major molecular form. We named the peptide Big angiotensin-25 (Bang-25) because it consists of 25 amino acids with a glycosyl chain and added cysteine. Bang-25 is rapidly cleaved by chymase to Ang II, but is resistant to cleavage by renin. The peptide is abundant in human urine and is present in a wide range of organs and tissues. In particular, immunostaining of Bang-25 in the kidney is specifically localized to podocytes. Although the physiological function of Bang-25 remains uncertain, our findings suggest it is processed from angiotensinogen and may represent an alternative, renin-independent path for Ang II synthesis in tissue.

A fluorogenic probe for γ-glutamyl cyclotransferase: application of an enzyme-triggered O-to-N acyl migration-type reaction.

Light it up: human chromosome 7 ORF 24, a tumor-related protein, has been identified as a γ-glutamyl cyclotransferase (GGCT) in the glutathione homeostasis cycle. The singular substrate preference of the enzyme has hampered chemical probe development, and no fluorogenic probe has been reported. Here we report the first fluorogenic dipeptide probe, LISA-4, which should contribute toward further understanding of GGCT.