Conversed mutagenesis of an inactive peptide to ASIC3 inhibitor for active sites determination.

Peptide Ugr9-1 from the venom of sea anemone Urticina grebelnyi selectively inhibits the ASIC3 channel and significantly reverses inflammatory and acid-induced pain in vivo. A close homolog peptide Ugr 9-2 does not have these features. To find the pharmacophore residues and explore structure-activity relationships of Ugr 9-1, we performed site-directed mutagenesis of Ugr 9-2 and replaced several positions by the corresponding residues from Ugr 9-1. Mutant peptides Ugr 9-2 T9F and Ugr 9-2 Y12H were able to inhibit currents of the ASIC3 channels 2.2 times and 1.3 times weaker than Ugr 9-1, respectively. Detailed analysis of the spatial models of Ugr 9-1, Ugr 9-2 and both mutant peptides revealed the presence of the basic-aromatic clusters on opposite sides of the molecule, each of which is responsible for the activity. Additionally, Ugr9-1 mutant with truncated N- and C-termini retained similar with the Ugr9-1 action in vitro and was equally potent in vivo model of thermal hypersensitivity. All together, these results are important for studying the structure-activity relationships of ligand-receptor interaction and for the future development of peptide drugs from animal toxins.

Sea anemone peptide with uncommon ß-hairpin structure inhibits acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) and reveals analgesic activity.

Three novel peptides were isolated from the venom of the sea anemone Urticina grebelnyi. All of them are 29 amino acid peptides cross-linked by two disulfide bridges, with a primary structure similar to other sea anemone peptides belonging to structural group 9a. The structure of the gene encoding the shared precursor protein of the identified peptides was determined. One peptide, π-AnmTX Ugr 9a-1 (short name Ugr 9-1), produced a reversible inhibition effect on both the transient and the sustained current of human ASIC3 channels expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. It completely blocked the transient component (IC50 10 ± 0.6 µM) and partially (48 ± 2%) inhibited the amplitude of the sustained component (IC50 1.44 ± 0.19 µM). Using in vivo tests in mice, Ugr 9-1 significantly reversed inflammatory and acid-induced pain. The other two novel peptides, AnmTX Ugr 9a-2 (Ugr 9-2) and AnmTX Ugr 9a-3 (Ugr 9-3), did not inhibit the ASIC3 current. NMR spectroscopy revealed that Ugr 9-1 has an uncommon spatial structure, stabilized by two S-S bridges, with three classical ß-turns and twisted ß-hairpin without interstrand disulfide bonds. This is a novel peptide spatial structure that we propose to name boundless ß-hairpin.

Lignan from thyme possesses inhibitory effect on ASIC3 channel current.

A novel compound was identified in the acidic extract of Thymus armeniacus collected in the Lake Sevan region of Armenia. This compound, named "sevanol," to our knowledge is the first low molecular weight natural molecule that has a reversible inhibition effect on both the transient and the sustained current of human ASIC3 channels expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Sevanol completely blocked the transient component (IC(50) 353 ± 23 µM) and partially (∼45%) inhibited the amplitude of the sustained component (IC(50) of 234 ± 53 µM). Other types of acid-sensing ion channel (ASIC) channels were intact to sevanol application, except ASIC1a, which showed more than six times less affinity to it as compared with the inhibitory action on the ASIC3 channel. To elucidate the structure of sevanol, the set of NMR spectra in two solvents (d(6)-DMSO and D(2)O) was collected, and the complete chemical structure was confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization (LC-ESI(+)-MS) fragmentation. This compound is a new lignan built up of epiphyllic acid and two isocitryl esters in positions 9 and 10. In vivo administration of sevanol (1-10 mg/kg) significantly reversed thermal hyperalgesia induced by complete Freund's adjuvant injection and reduced response to acid in a writhing test. Thus, we assume the probable considerable role of sevanol in known analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of thyme.