The incidence of mucormycosis has dramatically increased in immunocompromised patients. Moreover, the array of cellular targets whose inhibition results in fungal cell death is rather limited. Mitochondria have been mechanistically identified as central regulators of detoxification and virulence in fungi. Our group has previously designed and developed a proteolytically-resistant peptidomimetic...

N-Substituted glycine peptoid oligomers were used as substrates for azide-alkyne [3 + 2] cycloaddition conjugation reactions and then elaborated through additional rounds of oligomerization and cycloaddition. This novel sequential conjugation technique allowed for the generation of complex peptidomimetic products in which multiple heterogeneous pendant groups were site-specifically positioned a...

The chemical similarity of antibacterial cyclic peptides and peptidomimetics was studied in order to identify new promising cyclic scaffolds. A large descriptor space coupled with cluster analysis was employed to digitize known antibacterial structures and to gauge the potential of new peptidomimetic macrocycles, which were conveniently synthesized by acylbenzotriazole methodology. Some of the ...

15 A wide variety of protein and peptidomimetic design tasks require matching 16 functional three-dimensional motifs to potential oligomeric scaffolds. Enzyme 17 design, for example, aims to graft active-site patterns typically consisting of 3 to 18 15 residues onto new protein surfaces. Identifying suitable proteins capable of 19 scaffolding such active-site engraftment requires costly searche...

Both collagenase-3 and osteocalcin mRNAs are expressed maximally during the later stages of osteoblast differentiation. Here, we demonstrate that collagenase-3 mRNA expression in differentiating MC3T3-E1 cells is dependent upon the presence of ascorbic acid, is inhibited in the presence of the collagen synthesis inhibitor, 3,4-dehydroproline, and is stimulated by growth on collagen in the absen...

The detrimental role of over activation of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in atherogenesis is widely recognized. Recently, we have demonstrated that Ang-(1-7) peptidomimetic - AVE0991, as well as known beta-adrenolytic agent nebivolol, exert anti-atherogenic actions in mouse model of atherosclerosis - apoE-knockout mice. Here, using LC-ESI-MS ex vivo system, we tested whether prolonged treatmen...

Lethal Toxin Neutralizing Factor (LTNF) obtained from Opossum serum (Didephis virginiana) is known to exhibit toxin-neutralizing activity for envenomation caused by animals, plants and bacteria. Small synthetic peptide- LT10 (10mer) derived from N-terminal fraction of LTNF exhibit similar anti-lethal and anti-allergic property. In our in silico study, we identified Insulin Degrading Enzyme (IDE...

The integrin α(v)β(3) plays an important role in angiogenesis. It is expressed on tumoral endothelial cells as well as on some tumor cells. RGD peptides are well-known to bind preferentially to the α(v)β(3) integrin. In this context, targeting tumor cells or tumor vasculature by RGD-based strategies is a promising approach for delivering anticancer drugs or contrast agents for cancer therapy an...

The virally encoded serine protease NS3/NS4A is essential to the life cycle of the hepatitis C virus (HCV), an important human pathogen causing chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Until very recently, the design of inhibitors for the HCV NS3 protease was limited to large peptidomimetic compounds with poor pharmacokinetic properties, making drug discovery an ...

BACKGROUND Cyclic RGD peptidomimetics containing a bifunctional diketopiperazine scaffold are a novel class of high-affinity ligands for the integrins αVβ3 and αVβ5. Since integrins are a promising target for the modulation of normal and pathological angiogenesis, the present study aimed at characterizing the ability of the RGD peptidomimetic cyclo[DKP-RGD] 1 proliferation, migration and networ...