The facile synthesis of high molecular weight water-soluble O-glycopolypeptide polymers by the ri... more The facile synthesis of high molecular weight water-soluble O-glycopolypeptide polymers by the ring-opening polymerization of their corresponding N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) in very high yield (overall yield > 70%) is reported. The per-acetylated-O-glycosylated lysine-NCA monomers, synthesized using stable glycosyl donors and a commercially available protected amino acid in very high yield, was polymerized using commercially available amine initiators. The synthesized water-soluble glycopolypeptides were found to be α-helical in aqueous solution. However, we were able to control the secondary conformation of the glycopolypeptides (α-helix vs nonhelical structures) by polymerizing racemic amino acid glyco NCAs. We have also investigated the binding of the glycopolypeptide poly(α-manno-O-lys) with the lectin Con-A using precipitation and hemagglutination assays as well as by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). The ITC results clearly show that the binding process is enthalpy driven for both α-helical and nonhelical structures, with negative entropic contribution. Binding stoichiometry for the glycopolypeptide poly(α-manno-O-lys) having a nonhelical structure was slightly higher as compared to the corresponding polypeptide which adopted an α-helical structure.
The synthesis of the amphiphilic homoglycopolypeptide was carried out by a combination of NCA pol... more The synthesis of the amphiphilic homoglycopolypeptide was carried out by a combination of NCA polymerization and click chemistry to yield a well-defined polypeptide having an amphiphilic carbohydrate on its side chain. The amphiphilicity of the carbohydrate was achieved by incorporation of an alkyl chain at the C-6 position of the carbohydrate thus also rendering the homoglycopolypeptide amphiphilic. The homoglycopolypeptide formed multimicellar aggregates in water above a critical concentration of 0.9 μM due to phase separation. The multimicellar aggregates were characterized by DLS, TEM, and AFM. It is proposed that hydrophobic interactions of the aliphatic chains at the 6-position of the sugar moieties drives the assembly of these rod-like homoglycopolypeptide into large spherical aggregates. These multimicellar aggregates encapsulate both hydrophilic as well as hydrophobic dye as was confirmed by confocal microscopy. Finally, amphiphilic random polypeptides containing 10% and 20% α-d-mannose in addition to glucose containing a hydrophobic alkyl chain at its 6 position were synthesized by our methodology, and these polymers were also found to assemble into spherical nanostructures. The spherical assemblies of amphiphilic random glycopolypeptides containing 10% and 20% mannose were found to be surface bioactive and were found to interact with the lectin Con-A.
European Journal of Organic Chemistry, May 20, 2021
Continuous advancement of application of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers encouraged explorat... more Continuous advancement of application of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers encouraged exploration of rapid and efficient synthesis of PNA monomers and oligomers. Among the PNA monomers developed, only a few are commonly used in automated PNA synthesis. Herein, we report short and efficient protocols suitable for large‐scale synthesis of Fmoc/Boc‐protected PNA monomers with advantageous solubility properties; these also facilitate purification due to the traceless nature of the Boc protecting group. Initially, several coupling reagents were screened for assembly of a pentamer containing all four nucleobases, and then the most promising reagents were tested in the synthesis of a decamer. The Fmoc/Boc‐protected monomers proved compatible with both manual synthesis and assembly on an automated peptide synthesizer at room temperature or at 40 °C. As compared to the commonly used coupling agent, 1‐[bis(dimethylamino)methylene]‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazolo[4,5‐b]pyridinium 3‐oxide hexafluorophosphate (HATU), both 2‐(1H‐benzotriazol‐1‐yl)‐1,1,3,3‐tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate (HBTU) and [ethyl cyano(hydroxyimino)acetato−O2]tri‐1‐pyrrolidinylphosphonium hexafluorophosphate (PyOxim) proved more favorable, with the latter being superior. A previously reported side reaction of guanine bases in the presence of benzotriazol‐1‐yl‐oxytripyrrolidinophosphonium hexafluorophosphate (PyBOP) was not observed with the phosphonium salts.
Conjugation of a delivery peptide containing a thiol functionality (e.g., a cysteine residue) wit... more Conjugation of a delivery peptide containing a thiol functionality (e.g., a cysteine residue) with a PNA oligomer displaying a single unprotected aliphatic primary amine (e.g., the N-terminus or a C-terminal lysine residue) can be achieved via a one-pot modification with a bisfunctional maleimide linker also displaying a reactive N-hydroxysuccinimidyl ester group (e.g., Mal-PEG2-OSu). Here, an optimized protocol with respect to ratios between the reactants as well as recommended reaction times is presented. Formation and conversion of the maleimide-PNA intermediate was followed by analytical HPLC as exemplified by its conjugation to (KFF) 3 K-Cys-NH 2. In addition, the reaction time required for direct conversion of a preformed Mal-(CH 2) 2-(C¼O)-PNA oligomer in the presence of a slight excess of thiolmodified peptide (with a varying degree of sterical hindrance: HS-(CH 2) 2-CONH-(KFF) 3 K-NH 2 , (KFF) 3 K-hCys-NH 2 and (KFF) 3 K-Cys-NH 2) is provided.
Hydrophobic cyclodextrin (CD) nanofibers were produced by the electrospinning of peracetylated b-... more Hydrophobic cyclodextrin (CD) nanofibers were produced by the electrospinning of peracetylated b-CD without requiring any polymer as a carrier matrix. Native b-CD was peracetylated through the reaction with acetic anhydride, and the conversion of all hydroxyl groups into acetyl was confirmed by NMR, XPS, and TGA analyses. The peracetyl modification drastically boosted the thermal stability of the b-CD molecules. The electrospinning of the peracetylated b-CD from its highly concentrated solutions (180% (w/v)) in DMF led to bead-free nanofibers, while electrospinning at the concentrations of 140 and 160% (w/v) CDs resulted in beads and beaded nanofibers, respectively. The electrospinning process parameters such as applied voltage, flow rate, and tip-to-collector distances were systematically altered to produce a uniform nanofiber structure. The flow rate had the most drastic effect on the diameter and morphology of the resultant nanofibers: A threefold rise in the fiber diameter was observed with increasing the flow rate from 0.1 to 2 mL h-1. Similarly, higher electrical field increased the fiber diameter due to higher mass flow, while boosting the tip-tocollector distance did not reveal any significant change on the fiber diameter. The stability of the peracetylated b-CD nanofibers was observed in water for 24 h without any significant morphological change; however, the dissolution of the nanofiber mat was observed with a long-time exposure to water. We demonstrated production of hydrophobic uniform CD nanofibers without using any carrier polymer.
ABSTRACT Glycopolymers and glycopolypeptides are an important class of molecules, which can self-... more ABSTRACT Glycopolymers and glycopolypeptides are an important class of molecules, which can self-assemble to various interesting biohybrid materials. It is envisaged that the glycans impart good immunological response, and the aliphatic or polypeptide backbone can give tertiary structure for the resulting glycopolymers. The major bottleneck in the synthesis of glycopolymers or glycopolypeptides is the access to suitable building blocks and polymerization methods. This review describes methods that have recently been explored for the successful synthesis of many useful glycomonomers that could be polymerized to afford glycopolymers and/or glycopolypeptides.
We report the development of a new class of nucleic acid ligands that is comprised of Janus bases... more We report the development of a new class of nucleic acid ligands that is comprised of Janus bases and the MPγPNA backbone and is capable of binding rCAG repeats in a sequence-specific and selective manner via, inference, bivalent H-bonding interactions. Individually, the interactions between ligands and RNA are weak and transient. However, upon the installation of a C-terminal thioester and an N-terminal cystine and the reduction of disulfide bond, they undergo templatedirected native chemical ligation to form concatenated oligomeric products that bind tightly to the RNA template. In the absence of an RNA target, they self-deactivate by undergoing an intramolecular reaction to form cyclic products, rendering them inactive for further binding. The work has implications for the design of ultrashort nucleic acid ligands for targeting rCAG-repeat expansion associated with Huntington's disease and a number of other related neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders.
Continuous advancement of application of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers encouraged explorat... more Continuous advancement of application of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers encouraged exploration of rapid and efficient synthesis of PNA monomers and oligomers. Among the PNA monomers developed, only a few are commonly used in automated PNA synthesis. Herein, we report short and efficient protocols suitable for large‐scale synthesis of Fmoc/Boc‐protected PNA monomers with advantageous solubility properties; these also facilitate purification due to the traceless nature of the Boc protecting group. Initially, several coupling reagents were screened for assembly of a pentamer containing all four nucleobases, and then the most promising reagents were tested in the synthesis of a decamer. The Fmoc/Boc‐protected monomers proved compatible with both manual synthesis and assembly on an automated peptide synthesizer at room temperature or at 40 °C. As compared to the commonly used coupling agent, 1‐[bis(dimethylamino)methylene]‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazolo[4,5‐b]pyridinium 3‐oxide hexafluorophosph...
The facile synthesis of high molecular weight water-soluble <i>O</i>-glycopolypeptide... more The facile synthesis of high molecular weight water-soluble <i>O</i>-glycopolypeptide polymers by the ring-opening polymerization of their corresponding <i>N</i>-carboxyanhydride (NCA) in very high yield (overall yield > 70%) is reported. The per-acetylated-<i>O</i>-glycosylated lysine-NCA monomers, synthesized using stable glycosyl donors and a commercially available protected amino acid in very high yield, was polymerized using commercially available amine initiators. The synthesized water-soluble glycopolypeptides were found to be α-helical in aqueous solution. However, we were able to control the secondary conformation of the glycopolypeptides (α-helix vs nonhelical structures) by polymerizing racemic amino acid glyco NCAs. We have also investigated the binding of the glycopolypeptide poly(α-manno-<i>O</i>-lys) with the lectin Con-A using precipitation and hemagglutination assays as well as by isothermal titration calorimetry (...
Conjugation of a delivery peptide containing a thiol functionality (e.g., a cysteine residue) wit... more Conjugation of a delivery peptide containing a thiol functionality (e.g., a cysteine residue) with a PNA oligomer displaying a single unprotected aliphatic primary amine (e.g., the N-terminus or a C-terminal lysine residue) can be achieved via a one-pot modification with a bisfunctional maleimide linker also displaying a reactive N-hydroxysuccinimidyl ester group (e.g., Mal-PEG2-OSu). Here, an optimized protocol with respect to ratios between the reactants as well as recommended reaction times is presented. Formation and conversion of the maleimide-PNA intermediate was followed by analytical HPLC as exemplified by its conjugation to (KFF) 3 K-Cys-NH 2. In addition, the reaction time required for direct conversion of a preformed Mal-(CH 2) 2-(C¼O)-PNA oligomer in the presence of a slight excess of thiolmodified peptide (with a varying degree of sterical hindrance: HS-(CH 2) 2-CONH-(KFF) 3 K-NH 2 , (KFF) 3 K-hCys-NH 2 and (KFF) 3 K-Cys-NH 2) is provided.
Alterations in the polyamine and amino acid (tyrosine) moieties of philanthotoxin-343 (PhTX-343) ... more Alterations in the polyamine and amino acid (tyrosine) moieties of philanthotoxin-343 (PhTX-343) were investigated for their effects on the antagonism of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) isolated from the locust (Schistocerca gregaria) mushroom body. Through whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, the philanthotoxin analogues in this study were shown to cause inhibition of the inward current when co-applied with acetylcholine (ACh). PhTX-343 (IC50 = 0.80 μM at −75 mV) antagonised locust nAChRs in a use-dependent manner, suggesting that it acts as an open-channel blocker. The analogue in which both the secondary amine functionalities were replaced with methylene groups (i.e., PhTX-12) was ~6-fold more potent (IC50 (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) = 0.13 μM at −75 mV) than PhTX-343. The analogue containing cyclohexylalanine as a substitute for the tyrosine moiety of PhTX-343 (i.e., Cha-PhTX-343) was also more potent (IC50 = 0.44 μM at −75 mV). A combination of both alterat...
Hydrophobic cyclodextrin (CD) nanofibers were produced by the electrospinning of peracetylated b-... more Hydrophobic cyclodextrin (CD) nanofibers were produced by the electrospinning of peracetylated b-CD without requiring any polymer as a carrier matrix. Native b-CD was peracetylated through the reaction with acetic anhydride, and the conversion of all hydroxyl groups into acetyl was confirmed by NMR, XPS, and TGA analyses. The peracetyl modification drastically boosted the thermal stability of the b-CD molecules. The electrospinning of the peracetylated b-CD from its highly concentrated solutions (180% (w/v)) in DMF led to bead-free nanofibers, while electrospinning at the concentrations of 140 and 160% (w/v) CDs resulted in beads and beaded nanofibers, respectively. The electrospinning process parameters such as applied voltage, flow rate, and tip-to-collector distances were systematically altered to produce a uniform nanofiber structure. The flow rate had the most drastic effect on the diameter and morphology of the resultant nanofibers: A threefold rise in the fiber diameter was observed with increasing the flow rate from 0.1 to 2 mL h-1. Similarly, higher electrical field increased the fiber diameter due to higher mass flow, while boosting the tip-tocollector distance did not reveal any significant change on the fiber diameter. The stability of the peracetylated b-CD nanofibers was observed in water for 24 h without any significant morphological change; however, the dissolution of the nanofiber mat was observed with a long-time exposure to water. We demonstrated production of hydrophobic uniform CD nanofibers without using any carrier polymer.
miRNAs are key regulators of various biological processes. Dysregulation of miRNA is linked to ma... more miRNAs are key regulators of various biological processes. Dysregulation of miRNA is linked to many diseases. Development of miRNA inhibitor has implication in disease therapy and study of miRNA function. The biogenesis pathway of miRNA involves the processing of pre-miRNA into mature miRNA by Dicer enzyme. We previously reported a proximity enabled approach that employs bifunctional small molecules to regulate miRNA maturation through inhibiting the enzymatic activity of Dicer. By conjugating to an RNA targeting unit, an RNase inhibitor could be delivered to the cleavage site of specific pre-miRNA to deactivate the complexed Dicer enzyme. Herein, we expanded this bifunctional strategy by showing that antisense oligonucleotides (ASO), including morpholinos and γPNAs, could be readily used as the RNA recognition unit to generate bifunctional small molecule-oligonucleotide hybrids as miRNA inhibitors. A systematic comparison revealed that the potency of these hybrids is mainly determined by the RNA binding of the targeting ASO molecules. Since the lengths of the ASO molecules used in this approach were much shorter than commonly used anti-miRNA ASOs, this may provide benefits to the specificity and cellular delivery of these hybrids. We expect that this approach could be complementary to traditional ASO and small molecule based miRNA inhibition and contribute to the study of miRNA.
A robust synthetic route has been developed for preparing optically-pure, Fmoc-protected diethyle... more A robust synthetic route has been developed for preparing optically-pure, Fmoc-protected diethylene glycol-containing (R)-and (S)-PNA monomers. The strategy involves the application of 9-(4-bromophenyl)-9-fluorenyl as a temporary, safety-catch protecting-group for the suppression of epimerization in the O-alkylation and reductive amination steps. The optical purities of the final monomers were determined to be greater than 99.5% ee, as assessed by 19 F-NMR and HPLC. The new synthetic methodology is well-suited for large-scale monomer production, with most synthetic steps providing excellent chemical yields without the need for chromatographic purification other than a simple workup and precipitation.
We report the development of a new class of nucleic acid ligands that is comprised of Janus bases... more We report the development of a new class of nucleic acid ligands that is comprised of Janus bases and the MPγPNA backbone and is capable of binding rCAG repeats in a sequence-specific and selective manner via, inference, bivalent H-bonding interactions. Individually, the interactions between ligands and RNA are weak and transient. However, upon the installation of a C-terminal thioester and an N-terminal cystine and the reduction of disulfide bond, they undergo template-directed native chemical ligation to form concatenated oligomeric products that bind tightly to the RNA template. In the absence of an RNA target, they self-deactivate by undergoing an intramolecular reaction to form cyclic products, rendering them inactive for further binding. The work has implications for the design of ultrashort nucleic acid ligands for targeting rCAG-repeat expansion associated with Huntington's disease and a number of other related neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders.
Glycopolypeptides with a defined secondary structure are of significance in understanding biologi... more Glycopolypeptides with a defined secondary structure are of significance in understanding biological phenomena. Synthetic glycopolypeptides, or polypeptides featuring pendant carbohydrate moieties, have been of particular interest to the field of tissue engineering and drug delivery. In this work, we have synthesized charged water-soluble glycopolypeptides that adopt a helical conformation in water. This was carried out by the synthesis of a glyco-N-Page 1 of 27 ACS Paragon Plus Environment Biomacromolecules 2 carboxyanhydride (glyco-NCA) containing azide group at the sixth position of the carbohydrate ring. Subsequently, the NCA was polymerized to obtain azide-containing glycopolypeptides having good control over molecular weights and polydispersity index (PDI) in high yields. We were also able to control the incorporation of the azide group by synthesizing random coglycopolypeptide containing 6-deoxy-6-azido and regular 6-OAc functionalized glucose. This azide functionality allows for the easy attachment of a bioactive group, which could potentially enhance the biological activity of the glycopolypeptide. We were able to obtain water-soluble charged glycopolypeptides by both reducing the azide groups into amines and using CuAAC with propargylamine. These charged glycopolypeptides were shown to have a helical conformation in water. Preliminary studies showed that these charged glycopolypeptides showed good biocompatibility and were efficiently taken up by HepG2 cells.
The facile synthesis of high molecular weight water-soluble O-glycopolypeptide polymers by the ri... more The facile synthesis of high molecular weight water-soluble O-glycopolypeptide polymers by the ring-opening polymerization of their corresponding N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) in very high yield (overall yield &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; 70%) is reported. The per-acetylated-O-glycosylated lysine-NCA monomers, synthesized using stable glycosyl donors and a commercially available protected amino acid in very high yield, was polymerized using commercially available amine initiators. The synthesized water-soluble glycopolypeptides were found to be α-helical in aqueous solution. However, we were able to control the secondary conformation of the glycopolypeptides (α-helix vs nonhelical structures) by polymerizing racemic amino acid glyco NCAs. We have also investigated the binding of the glycopolypeptide poly(α-manno-O-lys) with the lectin Con-A using precipitation and hemagglutination assays as well as by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). The ITC results clearly show that the binding process is enthalpy driven for both α-helical and nonhelical structures, with negative entropic contribution. Binding stoichiometry for the glycopolypeptide poly(α-manno-O-lys) having a nonhelical structure was slightly higher as compared to the corresponding polypeptide which adopted an α-helical structure.
The synthesis of the amphiphilic homoglycopolypeptide was carried out by a combination of NCA pol... more The synthesis of the amphiphilic homoglycopolypeptide was carried out by a combination of NCA polymerization and click chemistry to yield a well-defined polypeptide having an amphiphilic carbohydrate on its side chain. The amphiphilicity of the carbohydrate was achieved by incorporation of an alkyl chain at the C-6 position of the carbohydrate thus also rendering the homoglycopolypeptide amphiphilic. The homoglycopolypeptide formed multimicellar aggregates in water above a critical concentration of 0.9 μM due to phase separation. The multimicellar aggregates were characterized by DLS, TEM, and AFM. It is proposed that hydrophobic interactions of the aliphatic chains at the 6-position of the sugar moieties drives the assembly of these rod-like homoglycopolypeptide into large spherical aggregates. These multimicellar aggregates encapsulate both hydrophilic as well as hydrophobic dye as was confirmed by confocal microscopy. Finally, amphiphilic random polypeptides containing 10% and 20% α-d-mannose in addition to glucose containing a hydrophobic alkyl chain at its 6 position were synthesized by our methodology, and these polymers were also found to assemble into spherical nanostructures. The spherical assemblies of amphiphilic random glycopolypeptides containing 10% and 20% mannose were found to be surface bioactive and were found to interact with the lectin Con-A.
European Journal of Organic Chemistry, May 20, 2021
Continuous advancement of application of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers encouraged explorat... more Continuous advancement of application of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers encouraged exploration of rapid and efficient synthesis of PNA monomers and oligomers. Among the PNA monomers developed, only a few are commonly used in automated PNA synthesis. Herein, we report short and efficient protocols suitable for large‐scale synthesis of Fmoc/Boc‐protected PNA monomers with advantageous solubility properties; these also facilitate purification due to the traceless nature of the Boc protecting group. Initially, several coupling reagents were screened for assembly of a pentamer containing all four nucleobases, and then the most promising reagents were tested in the synthesis of a decamer. The Fmoc/Boc‐protected monomers proved compatible with both manual synthesis and assembly on an automated peptide synthesizer at room temperature or at 40 °C. As compared to the commonly used coupling agent, 1‐[bis(dimethylamino)methylene]‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazolo[4,5‐b]pyridinium 3‐oxide hexafluorophosphate (HATU), both 2‐(1H‐benzotriazol‐1‐yl)‐1,1,3,3‐tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate (HBTU) and [ethyl cyano(hydroxyimino)acetato−O2]tri‐1‐pyrrolidinylphosphonium hexafluorophosphate (PyOxim) proved more favorable, with the latter being superior. A previously reported side reaction of guanine bases in the presence of benzotriazol‐1‐yl‐oxytripyrrolidinophosphonium hexafluorophosphate (PyBOP) was not observed with the phosphonium salts.
Conjugation of a delivery peptide containing a thiol functionality (e.g., a cysteine residue) wit... more Conjugation of a delivery peptide containing a thiol functionality (e.g., a cysteine residue) with a PNA oligomer displaying a single unprotected aliphatic primary amine (e.g., the N-terminus or a C-terminal lysine residue) can be achieved via a one-pot modification with a bisfunctional maleimide linker also displaying a reactive N-hydroxysuccinimidyl ester group (e.g., Mal-PEG2-OSu). Here, an optimized protocol with respect to ratios between the reactants as well as recommended reaction times is presented. Formation and conversion of the maleimide-PNA intermediate was followed by analytical HPLC as exemplified by its conjugation to (KFF) 3 K-Cys-NH 2. In addition, the reaction time required for direct conversion of a preformed Mal-(CH 2) 2-(C¼O)-PNA oligomer in the presence of a slight excess of thiolmodified peptide (with a varying degree of sterical hindrance: HS-(CH 2) 2-CONH-(KFF) 3 K-NH 2 , (KFF) 3 K-hCys-NH 2 and (KFF) 3 K-Cys-NH 2) is provided.
Hydrophobic cyclodextrin (CD) nanofibers were produced by the electrospinning of peracetylated b-... more Hydrophobic cyclodextrin (CD) nanofibers were produced by the electrospinning of peracetylated b-CD without requiring any polymer as a carrier matrix. Native b-CD was peracetylated through the reaction with acetic anhydride, and the conversion of all hydroxyl groups into acetyl was confirmed by NMR, XPS, and TGA analyses. The peracetyl modification drastically boosted the thermal stability of the b-CD molecules. The electrospinning of the peracetylated b-CD from its highly concentrated solutions (180% (w/v)) in DMF led to bead-free nanofibers, while electrospinning at the concentrations of 140 and 160% (w/v) CDs resulted in beads and beaded nanofibers, respectively. The electrospinning process parameters such as applied voltage, flow rate, and tip-to-collector distances were systematically altered to produce a uniform nanofiber structure. The flow rate had the most drastic effect on the diameter and morphology of the resultant nanofibers: A threefold rise in the fiber diameter was observed with increasing the flow rate from 0.1 to 2 mL h-1. Similarly, higher electrical field increased the fiber diameter due to higher mass flow, while boosting the tip-tocollector distance did not reveal any significant change on the fiber diameter. The stability of the peracetylated b-CD nanofibers was observed in water for 24 h without any significant morphological change; however, the dissolution of the nanofiber mat was observed with a long-time exposure to water. We demonstrated production of hydrophobic uniform CD nanofibers without using any carrier polymer.
ABSTRACT Glycopolymers and glycopolypeptides are an important class of molecules, which can self-... more ABSTRACT Glycopolymers and glycopolypeptides are an important class of molecules, which can self-assemble to various interesting biohybrid materials. It is envisaged that the glycans impart good immunological response, and the aliphatic or polypeptide backbone can give tertiary structure for the resulting glycopolymers. The major bottleneck in the synthesis of glycopolymers or glycopolypeptides is the access to suitable building blocks and polymerization methods. This review describes methods that have recently been explored for the successful synthesis of many useful glycomonomers that could be polymerized to afford glycopolymers and/or glycopolypeptides.
We report the development of a new class of nucleic acid ligands that is comprised of Janus bases... more We report the development of a new class of nucleic acid ligands that is comprised of Janus bases and the MPγPNA backbone and is capable of binding rCAG repeats in a sequence-specific and selective manner via, inference, bivalent H-bonding interactions. Individually, the interactions between ligands and RNA are weak and transient. However, upon the installation of a C-terminal thioester and an N-terminal cystine and the reduction of disulfide bond, they undergo templatedirected native chemical ligation to form concatenated oligomeric products that bind tightly to the RNA template. In the absence of an RNA target, they self-deactivate by undergoing an intramolecular reaction to form cyclic products, rendering them inactive for further binding. The work has implications for the design of ultrashort nucleic acid ligands for targeting rCAG-repeat expansion associated with Huntington's disease and a number of other related neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders.
Continuous advancement of application of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers encouraged explorat... more Continuous advancement of application of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers encouraged exploration of rapid and efficient synthesis of PNA monomers and oligomers. Among the PNA monomers developed, only a few are commonly used in automated PNA synthesis. Herein, we report short and efficient protocols suitable for large‐scale synthesis of Fmoc/Boc‐protected PNA monomers with advantageous solubility properties; these also facilitate purification due to the traceless nature of the Boc protecting group. Initially, several coupling reagents were screened for assembly of a pentamer containing all four nucleobases, and then the most promising reagents were tested in the synthesis of a decamer. The Fmoc/Boc‐protected monomers proved compatible with both manual synthesis and assembly on an automated peptide synthesizer at room temperature or at 40 °C. As compared to the commonly used coupling agent, 1‐[bis(dimethylamino)methylene]‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazolo[4,5‐b]pyridinium 3‐oxide hexafluorophosph...
The facile synthesis of high molecular weight water-soluble <i>O</i>-glycopolypeptide... more The facile synthesis of high molecular weight water-soluble <i>O</i>-glycopolypeptide polymers by the ring-opening polymerization of their corresponding <i>N</i>-carboxyanhydride (NCA) in very high yield (overall yield > 70%) is reported. The per-acetylated-<i>O</i>-glycosylated lysine-NCA monomers, synthesized using stable glycosyl donors and a commercially available protected amino acid in very high yield, was polymerized using commercially available amine initiators. The synthesized water-soluble glycopolypeptides were found to be α-helical in aqueous solution. However, we were able to control the secondary conformation of the glycopolypeptides (α-helix vs nonhelical structures) by polymerizing racemic amino acid glyco NCAs. We have also investigated the binding of the glycopolypeptide poly(α-manno-<i>O</i>-lys) with the lectin Con-A using precipitation and hemagglutination assays as well as by isothermal titration calorimetry (...
Conjugation of a delivery peptide containing a thiol functionality (e.g., a cysteine residue) wit... more Conjugation of a delivery peptide containing a thiol functionality (e.g., a cysteine residue) with a PNA oligomer displaying a single unprotected aliphatic primary amine (e.g., the N-terminus or a C-terminal lysine residue) can be achieved via a one-pot modification with a bisfunctional maleimide linker also displaying a reactive N-hydroxysuccinimidyl ester group (e.g., Mal-PEG2-OSu). Here, an optimized protocol with respect to ratios between the reactants as well as recommended reaction times is presented. Formation and conversion of the maleimide-PNA intermediate was followed by analytical HPLC as exemplified by its conjugation to (KFF) 3 K-Cys-NH 2. In addition, the reaction time required for direct conversion of a preformed Mal-(CH 2) 2-(C¼O)-PNA oligomer in the presence of a slight excess of thiolmodified peptide (with a varying degree of sterical hindrance: HS-(CH 2) 2-CONH-(KFF) 3 K-NH 2 , (KFF) 3 K-hCys-NH 2 and (KFF) 3 K-Cys-NH 2) is provided.
Alterations in the polyamine and amino acid (tyrosine) moieties of philanthotoxin-343 (PhTX-343) ... more Alterations in the polyamine and amino acid (tyrosine) moieties of philanthotoxin-343 (PhTX-343) were investigated for their effects on the antagonism of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) isolated from the locust (Schistocerca gregaria) mushroom body. Through whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, the philanthotoxin analogues in this study were shown to cause inhibition of the inward current when co-applied with acetylcholine (ACh). PhTX-343 (IC50 = 0.80 μM at −75 mV) antagonised locust nAChRs in a use-dependent manner, suggesting that it acts as an open-channel blocker. The analogue in which both the secondary amine functionalities were replaced with methylene groups (i.e., PhTX-12) was ~6-fold more potent (IC50 (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) = 0.13 μM at −75 mV) than PhTX-343. The analogue containing cyclohexylalanine as a substitute for the tyrosine moiety of PhTX-343 (i.e., Cha-PhTX-343) was also more potent (IC50 = 0.44 μM at −75 mV). A combination of both alterat...
Hydrophobic cyclodextrin (CD) nanofibers were produced by the electrospinning of peracetylated b-... more Hydrophobic cyclodextrin (CD) nanofibers were produced by the electrospinning of peracetylated b-CD without requiring any polymer as a carrier matrix. Native b-CD was peracetylated through the reaction with acetic anhydride, and the conversion of all hydroxyl groups into acetyl was confirmed by NMR, XPS, and TGA analyses. The peracetyl modification drastically boosted the thermal stability of the b-CD molecules. The electrospinning of the peracetylated b-CD from its highly concentrated solutions (180% (w/v)) in DMF led to bead-free nanofibers, while electrospinning at the concentrations of 140 and 160% (w/v) CDs resulted in beads and beaded nanofibers, respectively. The electrospinning process parameters such as applied voltage, flow rate, and tip-to-collector distances were systematically altered to produce a uniform nanofiber structure. The flow rate had the most drastic effect on the diameter and morphology of the resultant nanofibers: A threefold rise in the fiber diameter was observed with increasing the flow rate from 0.1 to 2 mL h-1. Similarly, higher electrical field increased the fiber diameter due to higher mass flow, while boosting the tip-tocollector distance did not reveal any significant change on the fiber diameter. The stability of the peracetylated b-CD nanofibers was observed in water for 24 h without any significant morphological change; however, the dissolution of the nanofiber mat was observed with a long-time exposure to water. We demonstrated production of hydrophobic uniform CD nanofibers without using any carrier polymer.
miRNAs are key regulators of various biological processes. Dysregulation of miRNA is linked to ma... more miRNAs are key regulators of various biological processes. Dysregulation of miRNA is linked to many diseases. Development of miRNA inhibitor has implication in disease therapy and study of miRNA function. The biogenesis pathway of miRNA involves the processing of pre-miRNA into mature miRNA by Dicer enzyme. We previously reported a proximity enabled approach that employs bifunctional small molecules to regulate miRNA maturation through inhibiting the enzymatic activity of Dicer. By conjugating to an RNA targeting unit, an RNase inhibitor could be delivered to the cleavage site of specific pre-miRNA to deactivate the complexed Dicer enzyme. Herein, we expanded this bifunctional strategy by showing that antisense oligonucleotides (ASO), including morpholinos and γPNAs, could be readily used as the RNA recognition unit to generate bifunctional small molecule-oligonucleotide hybrids as miRNA inhibitors. A systematic comparison revealed that the potency of these hybrids is mainly determined by the RNA binding of the targeting ASO molecules. Since the lengths of the ASO molecules used in this approach were much shorter than commonly used anti-miRNA ASOs, this may provide benefits to the specificity and cellular delivery of these hybrids. We expect that this approach could be complementary to traditional ASO and small molecule based miRNA inhibition and contribute to the study of miRNA.
A robust synthetic route has been developed for preparing optically-pure, Fmoc-protected diethyle... more A robust synthetic route has been developed for preparing optically-pure, Fmoc-protected diethylene glycol-containing (R)-and (S)-PNA monomers. The strategy involves the application of 9-(4-bromophenyl)-9-fluorenyl as a temporary, safety-catch protecting-group for the suppression of epimerization in the O-alkylation and reductive amination steps. The optical purities of the final monomers were determined to be greater than 99.5% ee, as assessed by 19 F-NMR and HPLC. The new synthetic methodology is well-suited for large-scale monomer production, with most synthetic steps providing excellent chemical yields without the need for chromatographic purification other than a simple workup and precipitation.
We report the development of a new class of nucleic acid ligands that is comprised of Janus bases... more We report the development of a new class of nucleic acid ligands that is comprised of Janus bases and the MPγPNA backbone and is capable of binding rCAG repeats in a sequence-specific and selective manner via, inference, bivalent H-bonding interactions. Individually, the interactions between ligands and RNA are weak and transient. However, upon the installation of a C-terminal thioester and an N-terminal cystine and the reduction of disulfide bond, they undergo template-directed native chemical ligation to form concatenated oligomeric products that bind tightly to the RNA template. In the absence of an RNA target, they self-deactivate by undergoing an intramolecular reaction to form cyclic products, rendering them inactive for further binding. The work has implications for the design of ultrashort nucleic acid ligands for targeting rCAG-repeat expansion associated with Huntington's disease and a number of other related neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders.
Glycopolypeptides with a defined secondary structure are of significance in understanding biologi... more Glycopolypeptides with a defined secondary structure are of significance in understanding biological phenomena. Synthetic glycopolypeptides, or polypeptides featuring pendant carbohydrate moieties, have been of particular interest to the field of tissue engineering and drug delivery. In this work, we have synthesized charged water-soluble glycopolypeptides that adopt a helical conformation in water. This was carried out by the synthesis of a glyco-N-Page 1 of 27 ACS Paragon Plus Environment Biomacromolecules 2 carboxyanhydride (glyco-NCA) containing azide group at the sixth position of the carbohydrate ring. Subsequently, the NCA was polymerized to obtain azide-containing glycopolypeptides having good control over molecular weights and polydispersity index (PDI) in high yields. We were also able to control the incorporation of the azide group by synthesizing random coglycopolypeptide containing 6-deoxy-6-azido and regular 6-OAc functionalized glucose. This azide functionality allows for the easy attachment of a bioactive group, which could potentially enhance the biological activity of the glycopolypeptide. We were able to obtain water-soluble charged glycopolypeptides by both reducing the azide groups into amines and using CuAAC with propargylamine. These charged glycopolypeptides were shown to have a helical conformation in water. Preliminary studies showed that these charged glycopolypeptides showed good biocompatibility and were efficiently taken up by HepG2 cells.
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Papers by Ashif Shaikh