Artificial pore blocker acts specifically on voltage-gated potassium channel isoform KV1.6.

Among voltage-gated potassium channel (KV) isoforms, KV1.6 is one of the most widespread in the nervous system. However, there are little data concerning its physiological significance, in part due to the scarcity of specific ligands. The known high-affinity ligands of KV1.6 lack selectivity, and conversely, its selective ligands show low affinity. Here, we present a designer peptide with both high affinity and selectivity to KV1.6. Previously, we have demonstrated that KV isoform-selective peptides can be constructed based on the simplistic α-hairpinin scaffold, and we obtained a number of artificial Tk-hefu peptides showing selective blockage of KV1.3 in the submicromolar range. We have now proposed amino acid substitutions to enhance their activity. As a result, we have been able to produce Tk-hefu-11 that shows an EC50 of ≈70 nM against KV1.3. Quite surprisingly, Tk-hefu-11 turns out to block KV1.6 with even higher potency, presenting an EC50 of ≈10 nM. Furthermore, we have solved the peptide structure and used molecular dynamics to investigate the determinants of selective interactions between artificial α-hairpinins and KV channels to explain the dramatic increase in KV1.6 affinity. Since KV1.3 is not highly expressed in the nervous system, we hope that Tk-hefu-11 will be useful in studies of KV1.6 and its functions.

Chlorin e6 fused with a cobalt-bis(dicarbollide) nanoparticle provides efficient boron delivery and photoinduced cytotoxicity in cancer cells.

Further development of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) requires new neutronsensitizers with improved ability to deliver (10)B isotopes in cancer cells. Conjugation of boron nanoparticles with porphyrin derivatives is an attractive and recognized strategy to solve this task. We report on breakthroughs in the structural optimization of conjugates of chlorin e6 derivative with cobalt-bis(dicarbollide) nanoparticles resulting in the creation of dimethyl ester 13-carbomoylchlorin e6 [N-hexylamine-N'-ethoxyethoxy]-cobalt-bis(dicarbollide) (conjugate 1). Conjugate 1 is able to accumulate quickly and efficiently (distribution factor of 80) in cancer cells, thus delivering more than 10(9) boron atoms per cell when its extracellular concentration is more than 1 µmol L(-1). Also 1 is an active photosensitizer and is phototoxic towards human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells at 80 nmol L(-1) (50% cell death). Photoinduced cytotoxicity of 1 is associated with lipid peroxidation, lysosome rupture and protease activity enhancement. Conjugate 1 fluoresces in the red region (670 nm), which is useful to monitor its accumulation and distribution in vivo. It is not toxic to cells without activation by neutrons or photons. Structural features that improve the functional properties of 1 are discussed. The properties of 1 warrant its preclinical evaluation as a multifunctional agent for BNCT, photodynamic therapy and fluorescent tumor diagnosis.

Cobalt bis(dicarbollide) versus closo-dodecaborate in boronated chlorin e(6) conjugates: implications for photodynamic and boron-neutron capture therapy.

Conjugation of boron nanoparticles with porphyrins is an attractive way to create dual agents for anticancer boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Properties of chlorin e(6) conjugated with two cobalt bis(dicarbollide) nanoparticles (1) or with a closo-dodecaborate nanoparticle (2) are reported. Fluorescent dianionic conjugates 1 and 2 penetrate in A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells, stain cytoplasm diffusely and accumulate highly in lysosomes but are not toxic themselves for cells. Average cytoplasmic concentration of boron atoms (B) achieves 270 µM (ca. 2 × 10(8) B/cell) and 27 µM (ca. 2 × 10(7) B/cell) at the 1.5 µM extracellular concentration of 1 and 2, respectively, that makes conjugate 1 especially suitable for BNCT. Conjugate 2 causes photoinduced cell death at micromolar concentrations and can be considered also as a photosensitizer for PDT. Conjugates 1 and 2 have high quantum yields of singlet oxygen generation (0.55 and 0.85 in solution, respectively), identical intracellular localization and similar lipid-like microenvironment but conjugate 1 possesses no photoinduced cytotoxicity. A presence of cobalt complexes in conjugate 1 is supposed to be a reason of the observed antioxidative effect in cellular environment, but an exact mechanism of this intriguing phenomenon is unclear. Due to increased intracellular accumulation and absence of photoinduced cytotoxicity conjugate 1 is promising for fluorescence diagnostics of cancer.

Conjugate of chlorin е6 with iron bis(dicarbollide) nanocluster: synthesis and biological properties.

Background: Efficiency of both photodynamic and boron-neutron capture anticancer therapies (BNCT) depends on the properties of the used photo- and neutronsensitizer. We report on the synthesis and properties of the advanced photo- and neutronsensitizer designed as a conjugate of chlorin e6 with iron bis(dicarbollide) nanocluster. Results: The conjugate is shown to accumulate efficiently in rat glioblastoma C6 cells delivering >109 boron atoms per cell and thus meeting requirements for BNCT agents, to provide photoinduced 50% death of C6 cells at 35 ± 3 nM, to be not toxic for cells without activating stimulus. Conclusions: The conjugate is a prospective theranostic agent for photodynamic, BNCT and fluorescent diagnostics of tumors.

Spider toxins comprising disulfide-rich and linear amphipathic domains: a new class of molecules identified in the lynx spider Oxyopes takobius.

In addition to the conventional neurotoxins and cytotoxins, venom of the lynx spider Oxyopes takobius was found to contain two-domain modular toxins named spiderines: OtTx1a, 1b, 2a and 2b. These toxins show both insecticidal activity (a median lethal dose against flesh fly larvae of 75 µg·g(-1)) and potent antimicrobial effects (minimal inhibitory concentrations in the range 0.1-10 µm). Full sequences of the purified spiderines were established by a combination of Edman degradation, mass spectrometry and cDNA cloning. They are relatively large molecules (~ 110 residues, 12.0-12.5 kDa) and consist of two distinct modules separated by a short linker. The N-terminal part (~ 40 residues) contains no cysteine residues, is highly cationic, forms amphipathic α-helical structures in a membrane-mimicking environment, and shows potent cytolytic effects on cells of various origins. The C-terminal part (~ 60 residues) is disulfide-rich (five S-S bonds), and contains the inhibitor cystine knot (ICK/knottin) signature. The N-terminal part of spiderines is very similar to linear cytotoxic peptides found in various organisms, whereas the C-terminal part corresponds to the usual spider neurotoxins. We synthesized the modules of OtTx1a and compared their activity to that of full-length mature toxin produced recombinantly, highlighting the importance of the N-terminal part, which retained full-length toxin activity in both insecticidal and antimicrobial assays. The unique structure of spiderines completes the range of two-domain spider toxins.